metre

MEE-tuh/ˈmiːtə/MEE-tur/ˈmiːtəɹ/

Pluralmetres

Verbmetres, metring, metred

US spellingmeter

3 meanings of metre

1
length unitnouncountable
The main unit for measuring length in the metric system, equal to about 39 inches.
The shop sells ribbon by the metre.
Our classroom is about eight metres long.
UsageThe length is a metre. A machine that measures, like a gas meter, is spelt differently.
Note
2
rhythmnouncountable or uncountable
The pattern of beats in a poem or a piece of music.
Read the poem out loud and you can hear its metre.
This song has an unusual metre.
UsageSay a poem is written in a metre.
Similarrhythm, measure
Note
3
put in rhythmverbtransitive
To put words or music into a regular rhythm, like the beat of a poem.
She metred her diary entries into short poems.
It is hard to metre a long story without losing some of it.
Note

Used only in American English, spelled meter: to measure with a meter; to frank post with a postage meter; to deliver in regulated amounts.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of metre apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meaning 1

From French mètre, from a Greek word meaning "measure".

Checked 4 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

English metre derives from French mètre. en.wiktionary.org
French mètre derives from a Greek word meaning “measure”. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2–3

From Old English, from Latin and Greek words meaning "measure".

Checked 4 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Metre, in its poetic or musical sense, derives from Old English. en.wiktionary.org
The Old English word derives from Latin metrum, ultimately from Greek metron. en.wiktionary.org
The Latin and Greek source words mean “measure”. en.wiktionary.org