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Synonyms

metre

1 British  
/ ˈmiːtə /

noun

  1. a metric unit of length equal to approximately 1.094 yards

  2. 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

metre 2 British  
/ ˈmiːtə /

noun

  1. prosody the rhythmic arrangement of syllables in verse, usually according to the number and kind of feet in a line

  2. music another word (esp US) for time

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Queen Elizabeth was on the throne, Boris Johnson was in Number Ten and we were still living two metres apart with pandemic restrictions.

From BBC

There are high fences on both sides that are often electrified, with guard posts every few hundred metres.

From BBC

Estimated at being 12 to 15 metres long and 15 tons in weight, it's thought the whale could have previously become entangled in a fishing net.

From BBC

Ukraine's total gas consumption in 2025 was 21 billion cubic metres, the Dixi group consultancy said in a report in March, meaning Hungary accounted for 14 percent of Ukraine's total gas use in 2025.

From Barron's

"We were literally like 100 metres away," says 23-year-old Leo Medina, who was onboard another plane on the tarmac when the crash happened.

From BBC