metre

me•tre n., v., -tred, -tring.

me•tre n., v., -tred, -tring. [Brit.]

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

metre, US meter /ˈmiːtə/ n

a metric unit of length equal to approximately 1.094 yards
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 Etymology: 18th Century: from French; see metre²

metre, US meter /ˈmiːtə/ n

the rhythmic arrangement of syllables in verse, usually according to the number and kind of feet in a line
another word (esp US) for time

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin metrum, from Greek metron measure

me•ter¹ n. [countable]

Weights and Measuresa unit of length, equivalent to 39.37 U.S. inches;
now defined as 1&sfracdenom;299,792,458&sfracend; of the distance light travels in a vacuum in one second. Abbr.: m

See -meter-.
me•ter² n.

Music and Dance
- [uncountable] the rhythmic element in music.
- [countable] the unit of measurement adopted for a given piece of music.
Poetry[uncountable] the arrangement of words in poetic rhymes.

See -meter-.
me•ter³ n. [countable]

Weights and Measuresan instrument for measuring and recording the quantity of something, as of water, miles, or time:an electric meter.
parking meter:a few more minutes left on the meter.

v. [~ + object]

See -meter-.
-meter-, root.

Weights and Measures -meter- comes from Greek, where it has the meaning "measure.'' This meaning is found in such words as: anemometer, barometer, centimeter, diameter, geometry, kilometer, meter, metric, metronome, odometer, parameter, pedometer, perimeter, symmetry.

me•ter¹ n.

Weights and Measuresthe fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equivalent to 39.37 U.S. inches, originally intended to be, and being very nearly, equal to one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the pole measured on a meridian: defined from 1889 to 1960 as the distance between two lines on a platinum-iridium bar (the "International Prototype Meter'') preserved at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures near Paris;
from 1960 to 1983 defined as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of the orange-red radiation of krypton 86 under specified conditions;
and now defined as ¹⁄₂₉_9,₇₉_2,₄₅₈ of the distance light travels in a vacuum in one second. Abbr.: m Also,[Brit.,] metre.

me•ter² n.

Music and Dance
- the rhythmic element as measured by division into parts of equal time value.
- the unit of measurement, in terms of number of beats, adopted for a given piece of music. Cf. measure (def. 14).
[Pros.]
- poetic measure;
  arrangement of words in regularly measured, patterned, or rhythmic lines or verses.
- a particular form of such arrangement, depending on either the kind or the number of feet constituting the verse or both rhythmic kind and number of feet (usually used in combination):pentameter;dactylic meter;iambic trimeter.

Also,[Brit.,] metre.

me•ter³ n.

Weights and Measuresan instrument for measuring, esp. one that automatically measures and records the quantity of something, as of gas, water, miles, or time, when it is activated.
See parking meter.

v.t.

Also,[Brit.,] metre.

-meter,

Weights and Measuresa combining form meaning "measure,'' used in the names of instruments measuring quantity, extent, degree, etc.:altimeter; barometer.Cf. -metry.

'metre' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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