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• metro
  metro

  noun

  the underground electric railway of Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, Washington, D.C., and other cities.
• metro-
  metro-

  a combining form meaning “measure,” used in the formation of compound words.

metro

¹ American  

[me-troh] / ˈmɛ troʊ /

noun

(often initial capital letter)

• metros
  plural

1. the underground electric railway of Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, Washington, D.C., and other cities.

2. subway.

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metro ² American  

[me-troh] / ˈmɛ troʊ /

adjective

1. metropolitan.

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noun

• metros
  plural

1. metropolis.

2. (often initial capital letter) the government or jurisdiction of a large city.

metro- ³ American  

1. a combining form meaning “measure,” used in the formation of compound words.

   metronome.

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metro- ⁴ American  

1. a combining form meaning “uterus,” used in the formation of compound words.

   metrorrhagia.

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metro- ⁵ American  

1. a combining form representing metropolis or metropolitan in compound words.

   metroflight; metroland; Metroliner.

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metro- ¹ British  

combining form

1. indicating the uterus

   metrorrhagia

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metro- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating a measure

   metronome

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metro ³ British  

/ ˈmɛtrəʊ, metro /

noun

1. an underground, or largely underground, railway system in certain cities, esp in Europe, such as that in Paris

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• metros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of metro¹

1900–05; < French métro, short for chemin de fer métropolitain metropolitan railroad

Origin of metro²

First recorded in 1900–05; by shortening; or independent use of metro- ³

Origin of metro-³

Combining form representing Greek métron measure

Origin of metro-⁴

Combining form representing Greek mḗtra womb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

metro metros

The median sale price of a home in the Chicago metro area in June was about $407,000, up 4.6% from a year ago, according to a report by Illinois Realtors.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

The attack still lingers in metro Detroit’s close-knit Jewish community, which is centered on Moss’ congressional district.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

The e-commerce giant currently operates in 11 metro areas, including Phoenix, Detroit, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Either go to a shelter -- the metro or a basement -- in advance, accepting a disrupted and uncomfortable night of half-sleep.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

I gave the sports page to my dad and unfolded the metro region section.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Louisville/Jefferson County had the highest share of “stale” listings among the 50 most populous metros in America.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

These are the top five metros where for-sale listings saw the biggest increase in the number of days spent on the market, according to data provided by Realtor.com.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Regionally, providers in rural areas that heavily rely on Medicaid payments, as well as safety-net hospitals found in major metros, could also face big funding shortfalls and job cuts.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

Equity Residential, started by the late billionaire real-estate investor Sam Zell, has properties concentrated in major coastal markets in the U.S. as well as major metros including Atlanta, Austin and Denver.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

The numbers for the year through June 2025 also show fewer people bailing on America’s tech epicenter, a modest Midwest rebound and rising appeal for small southern metros.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

Related Words

• rail line
• railway
• subway