metre


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me·tre 1

(mē′tər)
n. Chiefly British
Variant of meter 1.

me·tre 2

(mē′tər)
n. Chiefly British
Variant of meter 2.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

metre

(ˈmiːtə) or

meter

n
1. (Units) a metric unit of length equal to approximately 1.094 yards
2. (Units) 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
Symbol: m
[C18: from French; see metre2]

metre

(ˈmiːtə) or

meter

n
1. (Poetry) prosody the rhythmic arrangement of syllables in verse, usually according to the number and kind of feet in a line
2. (Music, other) music another word (esp US) for time 22
[C14: from Latin metrum, from Greek metron measure]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

me•ter1

(ˈmi tər)

n.
the base SI unit of length, equivalent to 39.37 U.S. inches; now defined as 1/299,792,458 of the distance light travels in a vacuum in one second. Abbr.: m
[1790–1800; < French mètre < Greek métron measure]

me•ter2

(ˈmi tər)

n.
1.
a. the rhythmic element in music as measured by division into parts of equal time value.
b. the unit of measurement, in terms of number of beats, adopted for a piece of music.
2.
a. the arrangement of words in rhythmic lines; poetic measure.
b. a particular rhythmic arrangement in a line, based on kind or kind and number of feet: dactylic meter.
c. rhythmic arrangement of stanzas or strophes, based on the kind and number of lines.
[before 900; Middle English metre, Old English meter < Latin metrum meter, verse < Greek métron measure]

me•ter3

(ˈmi tər)

n.
1. an instrument for measuring and recording the quantity of something, as of gas, water, miles, or time.
v.t.
3. to measure by means of a meter.
4. to process (mail) by means of a postage meter.
[1805–15; independent use of -meter,influenced in some senses by mete1]

-meter

a combining form meaning “measure,” used in the names of instruments measuring quantity, extent, degree, etc.: altimeter; barometer. Compare -metry.
[< New Latin -metrum < Greek métron measure]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

metre

– meter
1. 'metre'

In British English, a metre is a unit of length equal to 39.37 inches.

The blue whale grows to over 30 metres long.
2. 'meter'

In American English, this word is spelled meter.

I stopped about fifty meters down the road.

In both British and American English, some kinds of measuring devices are also called meters.

...a parking meter.
He'd come to read the gas meter.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. [画像:metre - the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)]metre - the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
metric linear unit - a linear unit of distance in metric terms
decimeter, decimetre, dm - a metric unit of length equal to one tenth of a meter
decameter, decametre, dekameter, dekametre, dkm, dam - a metric unit of length equal to ten meters
2. [画像:metre - (prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse]metre - (prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse
metrics, prosody - the study of poetic meter and the art of versification
poetic rhythm, rhythmic pattern, prosody - (prosody) a system of versification
catalexis - the absence of a syllable in the last foot of a line or verse
scansion - analysis of verse into metrical patterns
common meter, common measure - the usual (iambic) meter of a ballad
metrical foot, metrical unit, foot - (prosody) a group of 2 or 3 syllables forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm
3. [画像:metre - rhythm as given by division into parts of equal duration]metre - rhythm as given by division into parts of equal duration
rhythmicity - the rhythmic property imparted by the accents and relative durations of notes in a piece of music
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
مِتْرمِتْرٌ وزن، بَحْر من بُحور الشِّعْر
metrmetrum
meterversemål
metro
meeter
metri
मीटर
metar
meter
metribragarhátturfersentimetri
メートル
미터
metrspantmērs
metru
metermetrum
meter
meter
เมตร
mét

metre

meter (US) [ˈmiːtəʳ] N → metro m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

metre

[ˈmiːtər] meter (US) n (= measurement) → mètre m
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

metre

, (US) meter
n
(Measure) → Meter m or nt
(Poet) → Metrum nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

metre

meter (Am) [ˈmiːtəʳ] n → metro
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

metre1

(American) meter (ˈmiːtə) noun
(often abbreviated m mwhen written) the chief unit of length in the metric system, equal to 39.37 inches. This table is one metre broad. meter مِتْر метър metro metr der Meter meter μέτρο metro meeter متر metri mètre מטר छंद, मीटर metar méter meter metri metro メートル 미터 metras metrs meter meter meter metr متر metro metru метр meter meter metar meter หน่วยวัดเป็นเมตร metre (公制長度單位)米 метр میٹری نظام میں فاصلے کی پیمائش کی اکائی mét (公制长度单位)米
metric (ˈmetrik) adjective
of the metre or metric system. Are these scales metric? metries مِتْري метричен métrico metrický metrisch metrisk μετρικός métrico meetri-, meetriline بر حسب متر metrinen métrique מטרי मीटर का metrički méter-rendszerű metrik metra- metrico メートル法の 미터법의 metrinis metrisks metrik metriek meter-, metrisk metryczny, dziesiętny د متر په حساب métrico metric метрический metrický metrski metrički meter- ตามระบบเมตริก metrik 公制的 метричний میٹر پر مبنی theo mét 米制的
the metric system
a system of weights and measures based on multiples of ten (eg 1 metre = 100 centimetres, 1 centimetre = 10 millimetres etc). die metriese stelsel النِّظام المِتْري мерна система sistema métrico metrická soustava das Dezimalsystem metersystem μετρικό σύστημα sistema métrico meetermõõdustik سیستم متریک metrijärjestelmä système métrique הַשִיטָה הַמֶטרִית मेट्रिक प्रणाली जो मीटर, सेंटीमीटर, लीटर आदि का प्रयोग करती है metrički sustav méterrendszer sistem metrik metrakerfi sistema metrico メートル法 미터법 metrinė matų sistema metriskā mēru sistēma sistem metrik het metriek stelsel det metriske systemet system metryczny متريك سيسټم sistema métrico sistem metric метрическая система metrická sústava metrski sistem metrički sistem metersystemet ระบบเมตริก metrik sistem 公制(一種國際度量衡制度) метрична система پیمائش کا اعشاری نظام hệ mét 公制

metre2

(American) meter (ˈmiːtə) noun
(in poetry) the regular arrangement of syllables that are stressed or unstressed, long or short. The metre of this passage is typical of Shakespeare. metrum وزن، بَحْر من بُحور الشِّعْر стихотворна стъпка métrica metrum das Versmaß versemål μέτρο metro värsimõõt وزن شعر runomitta mètre מקצב, משקל मीटर stopa, mjera stiha versmérték, ütem sanjak bragarháttur metro 韻律 운율 metras pantmērs pola irama versmaat versemål stopa د شعر وزن metro metrică размер, ритм metrum metrum metar versmått จังหวะในโคลง ฉันท์ กาพย์ กลอน vezin (詩的) 格律 розмір, метр شعر کا وزن nhịp thơ (诗的)韵律
ˈmetrical (ˈme-) adjective
of or in poetry. The translation is not metrical – it is in prose. metries مَوْزون поетичен métrico metrický metrisch på vers έμμετρος métrica meetriline دارای وزن runomitallinen métrique רתמי, מקצבי क्रम से metrički időmértékes bersanjak í bundnu máli metrico 韻文の 운율의 metrinis metrisks, vārsmots pola irama metrisch i bunden form, på vers metryczny وزن لرونكى métrico în versuri метрический; ритмизированный metrický metričen metrički metrisk, i bunden form ซึ่งมีท่วงทํานอง vezinli 格律的,詩體的 метричний مطابق بحر theo thể thơ 韵律的
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

metre

→ مِتْرٌ metr meter Meter μέτρο metro metri mètre metar metro メートル 미터 meter meter metr metro метр meter เมตร metre mét 米
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
There are, again, some arts which employ all the means above mentioned, namely, rhythm, tune, and metre. Such are Dithyrambic and Nomic poetry, and also Tragedy and Comedy; but between them the difference is, that in the first two cases these means are all employed in combination, in the latter, now one means is employed, now another.
There is another art which imitates by means of language alone, and that either in prose or verse--which, verse, again, may either combine different metres or consist of but one kind--but this has hitherto been without a name.
"Langland wrote altogether in metre," he says, "but not after the manner of our rimers that write nowadays (for his verses end not alike), but the nature of his metre is to have three words, at the least, in every verse which begin with some one letter.
This thing being noted, the metre shall be very pleasant to read.
So reconstructed, the earliest period appears to us as a time of slow development in which the characteristic epic metre, diction, and structure grew up slowly from crude elements and were improved until the verge of maturity was reached.
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Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.
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I followed the "Lady of the Lake" throughout, and when I first began to contrive verses of my own I found that poem a fit model in mood and metre.
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A curious, an erudite artist, certainly, he is to some extent an experimenter in rhyme or metre, often hazardous.
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For we do not speak now of men of poetical talents, or of industry and skill in metre, but of the true poet.
For it is not metres, but a metre-making argument that makes a poem,--a thought so passionate and alive that like the spirit of a plant or an animal it has an architecture of its own, and adorns nature with a new thing.
The favourite metres of the T`ang poets were in lines of five or seven syllables.
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And Lacepede, the French naturalist, in his elaborate history of whales, in the very beginning of his work (page 3), sets down the Right Whale at one hundred metres, three hundred and twenty-eight feet.
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