- a variation of meter.
metre
1 Britishnoun
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a metric unit of length equal to approximately 1.094 yards
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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
noun
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prosody the rhythmic arrangement of syllables in verse, usually according to the number and kind of feet in a line
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music another word (esp US) for time
Etymology
Origin of metre1
C18: from French; see metre ²
Origin of metre2
C14: from Latin metrum, from Greek metron measure
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Water brought by ship is around 14 euros per cubic metre -– a cost covered by the defence ministry which organises the supply route.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
While the water had receded now, they said, there was still over a metre of standing water in low-lying places like underpasses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
“Statistics show that there is a 100% chance of a tsunami of at least one metre high in the Mediterranean Sea in the next 30 years.”
From Science Daily ● May 21, 2026
The council says that the bay allowed a two metre space on the pavement for pedestrians to walk.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
This melodic symmetry had not been a noticeable feature of the more onward- flowing, unpredictable tunes of Bach and Handel, whose phrases were so often guided by the metre of the words they set.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
