mete

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To dispense, measure in order to dispense, allot (especially punishment, reward etc.).
noun
  1. A boundary or other limit; a boundary-marker; mere.
adj
  1. Obsolete spelling of meet (“suitable, fitting”).

Pronunciation

/miːt/ en-us-mete.ogg

Word forms

mete metes meting meted more mete most mete

Etymology

From Middle English meten, from Old English metan (“to measure, mete out, mark off, compare, estimate; pass over, traverse”), from Proto-West Germanic *metan, from Proto-Germanic *metaną (“to measure”), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure, consider”). Cognate with Scots mete (“to measure”), Saterland Frisian meete (“to measure”), West Frisian mjitte (“to measure”), Dutch meten (“to measure”), German messen (“to measure”), Swedish mäta (“to measure”), Latin modus (“limit, measure, target”), Ancient Greek μεδίμνος (medímnos, “measure, bushel”), Ancient Greek μέδεσθαι (médesthai, “care for”), Old Armenian միտ (mit, “mind”).

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