metre

¹

/ 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

metre

²

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of metre¹

C18: from French; see _metre ²

Origin of metre²

C14: from Latin metrum, from Greek metron measure

Example Sentences

The second, intact carriage could be seen just metres from the wreckage at the bottom of the hill.

From BBC

They walked about 60 metres and heard a loud crash noise "like a rock falling, like a dump truck had dropped a load of rocks" at 18:02.

From BBC

The distance calculated by North Yorkshire Council is based on a road entrance to Tadcaster Grammar, but Ruth, who is a GP, discovered a pedestrian gate which made it the closest school by 27 metres.

From BBC

Since the beetle took hold in Norway over a decade ago it has been able to wipe out 100 million cubic metres of spruce, according to Rothamsted Research.

From BBC

On the way down, with rocks falling "like bullets" from thousands of metres above, a member of the expedition was hit on the head and seriously injured.

From BBC

Related Words

• cadence 
• flow 
• movement 
• pattern 
• pulse 
• swing 
• tempo