mere
1[ meer ]
/ mɪər /
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adjective, superlative mer·est.
being nothing more nor better than: a mere pittance;He is still a mere child.
Obsolete.
- pure and unmixed, as wine, a people, or a language.
- fully as much as what is specified; completely fulfilled or developed; absolute.
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Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of mere
1First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mer(e) “pure, clear, unmixed,” from Old French mier, mer, from Latin merus “pure, unmixed, simple, mere”
synonym study for mere
1. 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.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mere
mere , mirrorOther definitions for mere (2 of 5)
mere2
[ meer ]
/ mɪər /
noun
Chiefly British Dialect. a lake or pond.
Obsolete. any body of sea water.
Origin of mere
2First 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
Other definitions for mere (3 of 5)
mere3
or mear
[ meer ]
/ mɪər /
noun British Dialect.
a boundary or boundary marker.
Origin of mere
3First 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”
Other definitions for mere (4 of 5)
-mere
a combining form meaning “part,” used in the formation of compound words: blastomere.
Origin of -mere
Combining form representing Greek méros
Other definitions for mere (5 of 5)
mère
[ mer; English mair ]
/ mɛr; English mɛər /
noun, plural mères [mer; English mairz]. /mɛr; English mɛərz/. French.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use mere in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for mere (1 of 5)
mere1
/ (mɪə) /
adjective superlative merest
being nothing more than something specifiedshe is a mere child
Word Origin for mere
C15: from Latin merus pure, unmixed
British Dictionary definitions for mere (2 of 5)
mere2
/ (mɪə) /
noun
archaic, or dialect a lake or marsh
obsolete the sea or an inlet of it
Word Origin for mere
Old English mere sea, lake; related to Old Saxon meri sea, Old Norse marr, Old High German mari; compare Latin mare
British Dictionary definitions for mere (3 of 5)
mere3
/ (mɪə) /
noun
archaic a boundary or boundary marker
Word Origin for mere
Old English gemǣre
British Dictionary definitions for mere (4 of 5)
mere4
/ (ˈmɛrɪ) /
noun
NZ a short flat striking weapon
Word Origin for mere
Māori
British Dictionary definitions for mere (5 of 5)
-mere
n combining form
indicating a part or divisionblastomere
Derived forms of -mere
-meric, adj combining formWord Origin for -mere
from Greek meros part, portion
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for mere
-mere
-mer
A suffix meaning part or segment, as in blastomere, one of the cells that form a blastula.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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