English Explanatory Dictionary

metre

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI: Système International d'Unités), equal to the distance travelled by light in a vacuum in 1/299 792 458 seconds. The metre is equal to 39+⁴⁷⁄₁₂₇ (approximately 39.37) imperial inches.
verb
  1. Alternative spelling of meter.
noun
  1. The rhythm or measure in language (especially verse) and musical composition.
verb
  1. To put into metrical form.

Pronunciation

/ˈmiːtə/ En-uk-metre.ogg /ˈmiːtəɹ/ [ˈmiːɾɚ] en-us-metre.ogg

Word forms

metre metres meter metring metred

Etymology

From French mètre, from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron, “measure, rule, length, size, poetic metre”). Doublet of meter, metron, and mether.

Synonyms

m

Related words

Appendix on SI Units metronome metric

Derived words

1000 metre 1000-metre 1,000-metre attometre cubic metre cumec exametre femtometre gigametre kilogram-metre linear metre megametre metre-gauge metre gauge metre-kilogramme-second metre-kilogram-second metre per second metre stick metre-tonne-second metre-ton-second metric metrication metrology micrometre myriametre nanometre newton metre newton-metre polymetre quettametre ronnametre square metre terametre yoctometre yottametre zeptometre zettametre centimetre decametre decimetre hectometre kilometre millimetre
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