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• mere
  mere

  adjective

  being nothing more nor better than.
• mère
  mère

  noun

  mother.
• -mere
  -mere

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

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

mere

¹ American  

[meer] / mɪər /

adjective

merest superlative

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.

mères plural

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 lake or marsh

2. obsolete the sea or an inlet of it

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mere ² British  

/ ˈmɛrɪ /

noun

1. a short flat striking weapon

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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 boundary or boundary marker

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mere ⁵ British  

/ mɪə /

adjective

1. being nothing more than something specified

   she is a mere child

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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.

Synonym Usage

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

Noun Inflected Forms

• mères
  plural

Adjective Inflected Forms

• merest
  superlative

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

Explanation

Mere means pure and simple, nothing more and nothing less. If the mere mention of someone's name makes you happy, then just hearing his name — and that alone — is enough to make you smile. Mere can have a little irony attached. If you introduce yourself as "a mere student," when you’re announcing your astounding invention, you're contrasting your lowly status with the enormity of your invention. This kind of mere comes from the Latin for "undiluted." Mere has a homograph — a completely different word that's spelled the same — and this mere means a lake or a pond. It’s related to the Dutch word meer — there’s lots of water in Holland.

Example Sentences

Am wondering about the recipe recited to you by "Ma mère" with the potatoes, onions, mussels, scallops, etc.

From New York Times • Sep. 20, 2016

I thought of George Perec's La Disparition, which was written in French without using the letter "e", a restriction that meant he could not write père, mère, parents, famille, or his own name.

From The Guardian • Jul. 26, 2012

“But he is mean, I tell you,” cried ma mère angrily, as she once more stood beside her son.

From Mad A Story of Dust and Ashes by Fenn, George Manville

Ma mère placed a piece of candle in her pocket, along with a box of matches.

From Mad A Story of Dust and Ashes by Fenn, George Manville

The ladies are all on my side, but I am told by Tringle mère that I am less acceptable than old Traffick, who married the other girl, because I'm not the son of Lord Boardotrade!

From Ayala's Angel by Trollope, Anthony

Related Words

• bare
• minor
• pure
• sheer
• simple