Metre

Table of contents

1 Alternative Spellings 2 Etymology 3 Pronunciation 4 Noun 5 Translations

Alternative Spellings

meter (chiefly U.S.)

Etymology

From ancient Greek: μετρον (metron), "measure", "rule", "length", "size", "poetic metre"; via Latin metrum (sense 1) and French mètre (sense 2).

Pronunciation

IPA: /ˈmiːtə(r)/

SAMPA: /"mi:t@(r)/

Noun

1. The rhythm or measure in verse and musical composition.

   Derived terms

   • metronome

   External links

2. The basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI: Système International d'Unités). It is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second. It is equal to 39.37 Imperial inches.

   Spelling: This, rather than meter, is the spelling adopted by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.

   Symbol: m

   Quotations

   • 1797 - The Monthly magazine and British register, No. 3

     The measures of length above the metre are ten times [etc.]...greater than the metre.

   • 1873 - The Young Englishwoman, April

     A dress length of 8 metres of the best quality costs 58 francs.

   • 1928 - The Observer, April 15

     The 12-metre yachts...can be sailed efficiently with four paid hands.

   Derived terms

   • metrology
   • See SI prefixes

   External links

   • International Bureau of Weights and Measures

Translations

Chinese: 米

Czech: metr m

Dutch: meter m

Estonian: meetrum (verse and music); värsimõõt (verse); meeter (unit)

Finnish: runomitta (1), metri (2)

French: mètre m

German: Meter m (2), Metrum n (1)

Greek: μέτρο (metro) n

Interlingua: metro

Italian: metro m (1)

Japanese: メートル ㍍ (mētoru)

Polish: metr m

Portuguese: metro m

Romanian: metru m

Romanica: metro m

Russian: метр m [metr]

Slovak: meter m

Spanish: metro m (2), medidor m (1), contador m (1)

Swedish: meter

Turkish: metre

Vietnamese: mét (2), nhịp phách (1)