- 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.
He said he took the hook out of the shark easily and stayed a safe distance away, at least half a metre away from its tail.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
But with 34 candidates and a ballot paper that is nearly a metre long, it is expected to lengthen the time that takes compared to most parliamentary election counts.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
The ballot paper will be nearly a metre long, presenting a challenge for the local authorities, with some 78,245 eligible voters.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
The cost of the drinking water produced by desalination plants on the Aeolian Islands is around two euros per cubic metre.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
The first of a batch of two hundred and fifty embryonic rocket-plane engineers was just passing the eleven hundred metre mark on Rack 3.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
