metre
UK[ˈmiːtə]US[ˈmiːtər]
n
The basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 100 centimetres or approximately 39.37 inches.
n
The rhythmic pattern of a piece of poetry, determined by the number and type of feet in a line.
Etymology
The word 'metre' entered English from French mètre in the late 18th century, coinciding with the scientific establishment of the metric system. Its ultimate source is the ancient Greek noun metron (μέτρον), meaning "measure" or "that by which something is measured." This Greek term can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root me-, meaning "to measure," which also gave rise to words like "measure," "moon" (as a time-measurer), and "meal." The dual modern meanings—a unit of physical length and a measure of poetic rhythm—both stem directly from this core ancient concept of a standard for quantification and proportion.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from French, ultimately derived from Greek metron (measure). It is not productively segmented into smaller meaningful parts within its current English spelling.
Examples
The race was exactly one hundred metres long.
The scientist carefully measured a distance of three metres in the lab.
The poem's iambic metre creates a steady, rhythmic flow.