mete

¹ American  

[meet] / mit /

verb (used with object)

meted, meting

1. to distribute or apportion by measure; allot; dole (usually followed byout ).

   to mete out punishment.

   Synonyms:

   parcel, measure, deal

2. Archaic. to measure.

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mete ² American  

[meet] / mit /

noun

1. a limiting mark.

2. a limit or boundary.

   Synonyms:

   bound

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mete ¹ British  

/ miːt /

verb

1. formal (usually foll by out) to distribute or allot (something, often unpleasant)

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verb

1. poetic (to) measure

mete ² British  

/ miːt /

noun

1. rare a mark, limit, or boundary (esp in the phrase metes and bounds )

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Other Word Forms

• unmeted adjective

Etymology

Origin of mete¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English metan; cognate with Dutch meten, Old Norse meta, Gothic mitan, German messen to measure, Greek mḗdesthai to ponder

Origin of mete²

1275–1325; Middle English < Middle French < Latin mēta goal, turning post

Example Sentences

Williams’ Anna absorbs his fury as though it were the penance she herself would mete out for her sins.

From Los Angeles Times

California receives the vast bulk of its rain and snow between December and March, trapping the runoff in its reservoirs to mete out during the hot, dry seasons that follow.

From Los Angeles Times

The internet, of course, has been quite happy to mete out those stupid prizes left and right.

From Los Angeles Times

It metes it out at a much smaller pace.

From Los Angeles Times

This handy online timer tool inspired by said technique will automatically mete out your work sprints and build in breaks.

From Los Angeles Times