- a variation of meter.
metre
1 Britishnoun
-
a metric unit of length equal to approximately 1.094 yards
-
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
-
prosody the rhythmic arrangement of syllables in verse, usually according to the number and kind of feet in a line
-
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.
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
Matthew Myerscough said he was left with post-traumatic stress disorder after being unconscious for 20 minutes buried beneath a metre of snow after a slide on Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in 2014.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 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
“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
These songs were shaped by the poetic metre of their lyrics, and consequently most of the troubadour songs, even the sad ones, have a gentle, foot-tapping pulse.
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.
