metre

¹

/ ˈmiːtə /

noun

1. a metric unit of length equal to approximately 1.094 yards

2. the basic SI unit of length; the length of the path travelled by light in free space during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second. In 1983 this definition replaced the previous one based on krypton-86, which in turn had replaced the definition based on the platinum-iridium metre bar kept in Paris

metre

²

/ ˈmiːtə /

noun

1. prosody the rhythmic arrangement of syllables in verse, usually according to the number and kind of feet in a line

2. music another word (esp US) for time

Word History and Origins

Origin of metre¹

C18: from French; see _metre ²

Origin of metre²

C14: from Latin metrum, from Greek metron measure

Example Sentences

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found tied up to a tree hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

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Less than 100 metres away a man is shown lying on the street with a bloody head wound.

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He climbs 15 stories up a narrow tower that rises 45 metres above a pristine rainforest reserve in the heart of the Amazon.

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Each team must field at least four completely blind players, three who can see up to two metres, and four partially sighted players able to see up to about six metres.

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Four heat exchangers are submerged in the 1.7 metre deep water, which is also home to dozens of koi carp and tench – fish that have their own role in the operation.

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Related Words

• cadence 
• flow 
• movement 
• pattern 
• pulse 
• swing 
• tempo