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.
They are considered harmless to humans and are predominantly found sitting in large webs often more than a metre in diameter.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
Previously, homeowners needed planning permission if they wanted to put a heat pump within one metre of their neighbour's property, because of concerns over noise.
From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026
The price per square metre in other European capitals such as Paris or London can exceed 30,000 euros, real estate agents say.
From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026
Georgios estimates the snake was under a metre long, but many details remain uncertain.
From Science Daily • Dec. 31, 2025
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.
