mere

¹ American  

[meer] / mɪər /

adjective

superlative

merest

1. being nothing more nor better than.

   a mere pittance;

   He is still a mere child.

2. Obsolete.

   1. pure and unmixed, as wine, a people, or a language.

   2. fully as much as what is specified; completely fulfilled or developed; absolute.

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mere ² American  

[meer] / mɪər /

noun

1. Chiefly British Dialect. a lake or pond.

2. Obsolete. any body of sea water.

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mere ³ American  

[meer] / mɪər /

Or mear

noun

British Dialect.

1. a boundary or boundary marker.

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mère ⁴ American  

[mer, mair] / mɛr, mɛər /

noun

French.

plural

mères

1. mother.

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-mere ⁵ American  

1. a combining form meaning “part,” used in the formation of compound words.

   blastomere.

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mere ¹ British  

/ mɪə /

noun

1. archaic a boundary or boundary marker

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mere ² British  

/ mɪə /

adjective

1. being nothing more than something specified

   she is a mere child

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-mere ³ British  

combining form

1. indicating a part or division

   blastomere

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mere ⁴ British  

/ mɪə /

noun

1. archaic a lake or marsh

2. obsolete the sea or an inlet of it

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mere ⁵ British  

/ ˈmɛrɪ /

noun

1. a short flat striking weapon

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–mere Scientific  

1. A suffix meaning “part” or “segment,” as in blastomere, one of the cells that form a blastula.

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Usage

What does -mere mean? The combining form -mere is used like a suffix meaning “part.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology and anatomy.The form -mere comes from Greek méros, meaning “part” or “portion.” From this same source, we also get the combining forms -mer and -merous. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for both forms.

Related Words

Mere, bare imply a scant sufficiency. They are often interchangeable, but mere frequently means no more than (enough). Bare suggests scarcely as much as (enough). Thus a mere livelihood means enough to live on but no more; a bare livelihood means scarcely enough to live on.

Other Word Forms

• -meric combining form

Etymology

Origin of mere¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mer(e) “pure, clear, unmixed,” from Old French mier, mer, from Latin merus “pure, unmixed, simple, mere”

Origin of mere²

First recorded before 900; Middle English mere, mer, meire, Old English mer, mære “sea, ocean, lake, pond, well, cistern,” cognate with German Meer, Old Norse marr, Gothic marei, Old Irish muir, Latin mare

Origin of mere³

First recorded before 900; Middle English mere, mer, merre, Old English mǣre, gemǣre; cognate with Old Norse mæri “boundary, border land”; akin to Latin mūrus “defensive wall, city wall, boundary wall”

Origin of -mere⁵

Combining form representing Greek méros

Example Sentences

In the 12-team league, a mere six points covers the top six, with nine points across the top 10.

From BBC

“The huge swings go well beyond mere rotation and could certainly indicate something less benign and more troubling,” said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.

From MarketWatch

The mere existence of a credible nuclear force prevents adversaries from contemplating attacks they would otherwise consider.

From The Wall Street Journal

The trainer figured Yamamoto’s mere presence as a potential reliever would inspire the Dodgers and worry the Blue Jays.

From Los Angeles Times

She softens the character’s steely edges, turning a proud and almost rapacious woman into a mere doting mom.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bare
• minor
• pure
• sheer
• simple