Metre

The metre, or meter (American spelling), (from the Greek noun μέτρον, "measure") is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). The SI unit symbol is m. The metre is defined as the distance travelled by light in a specific fraction (1/299 792 458) of a second.

The metre was originally defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole. In 1889, it was redefined in terms of a prototype metre bar (the actual bar used was subsequently changed twice). In 1960, the metre was redefined in terms of a certain number of wavelengths of a certain emission line of krypton-86. In 1983, the current definition was adopted.

The imperial inch is defined as 0.0254 metres (2.54 centimetres or 25.4 millimetres). One metre is about 3 38 inches longer than a yard, i.e. about 39 38 inches.

Spelling

Metre is the standard spelling of the metric unit for length in all English-speaking nations except the USA, which uses meter.

Measuring devices (such as ammeter, speedometer) are spelled "-meter" in all countries. The word "meter", signifying any such device, has the same derivation as the word "metre", denoting the unit of length.

Meter (hymn)

A hymn meter or metre indicates the number of syllables for the lines in each stanza of a hymn. This provides a means of marrying the hymn's text with an appropriate hymn tune for singing.

Hymn and poetic meter

In the English language poetic meters and hymn meters have different starting points but there is nevertheless much overlap. Take the opening lines of the hymn Amazing Grace:

Analyzing this, a poet would see a couplet with four iambic metrical feet in the first line and three in the second. A musician would more likely count eight syllables in the first line and six in the second.

Completing that verse:

the hymnist describes it as 8.6.8.6 (or 86.86).

Conventionally most hymns in this 86.86 pattern are iambic (weak-strong syllable pairs). By contrast most hymns in an 87.87 pattern are trochaic, with strong-weak syllable pairs:

In practice many hymns conform to one of a relatively small number of meters (syllable patterns), and within the most commonly used ones there is a general convention as to whether its stress pattern is iambic or trochaic (or perhaps dactylic). It is rare to find any significant metrical substitution in a well-written hymn; indeed, such variation usually indicates a poorly constructed text.

Meter (disambiguation)

The meter or metre is a unit of measurement of length.

Meter or metre may also refer to :

Spelled metre or meter

Poetry or music

  • Metre (poetry), the regular linguistic sound patterns of a verse
  • Dactylic metre (disambiguation)
  • Meter (music), the regular underlying temporal grid of music
  • Meter (hymn), the syllable patterns in hymn stanzas
  • Other uses

  • Metre Rule or International Rule (sailing), for measuring and rating of yachts
  • Metrical phonology, a theory of stress or prominence of speech units in linguistics
  • Spelled meter only

    Measuring instruments

  • Dip meter, an instrument to measure resonant frequency of radio frequency circuits
  • E-meter, a modified ohmmeter used during Dianetics and Scientology auditing
  • Electricity meter, an instrument use to measure the amount of electric energy
  • Electrometer, an electrical instrument for measuring electric charge or electrical potential difference
  • Gas meter, an instrument use to measure a volume of fuel gases
  • Podcasts:

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    Latest News for: metre

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    Teen hiker dead after fall down 60-metre cliff north of Salmon Arm, B.C.

    CBC 23 Apr 2025
    The teen's death comes just a few days after a 28-year-old hiker died after falling several hundred metres on Mount Seymour, north of Vancouver ... .
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    Shark spotted metres from the shore at South Australian beach

    Sydney Morning Herald 23 Apr 2025
    9News has obtained vision of a great white shark cruising just metres from the shore of a popular South Australian beach ....
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    Dubai office market to expand by 415,000 square metres through 2026: Report

    Arabian Business 23 Apr 2025
    This expansion will increase Dubai's total office space inventory to 9.7 million square metres from the current 6.26 million, the Cavendish Maxwell report said ....
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    BMC concerned about Govt’s bid to increase high rises to 180 metres

    Hindustan Times 23 Apr 2025
    “The authorities are seeking to revise the threshold height requiring review by the Technical Committee for high-rise buildings from 120 metres to 180 metres,” said an UDRI spokesperson ... “Our ladders can reach a height of 90 metres.
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    GoldMining Inc. Identifies Significant Antimony Mineralization Including 2.79 g/t AuEq (0.71 g/t Au and 0.59% Sb) over 79 metres and 1.91 g/t AuEq (1.56 g/t Au and 0.10% Sb) over 128 metres at its 100% Owned Crucero Project

    PR Newswire 23 Apr 2025
    2.49 g/t gold equivalent* ("AuEq") (1.05 g/t Au & 0.41% Sb) over 47 metres (from 227 m depth) DDH-02 ... 1.87 g/t AuEq (1.09 g/t Au & 0.22% Sb) over 22 metres (from 203 m depth) DDH-04 ... Metres (UTM Zone 19S). Northing Metres (UTM Zone 19S).
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    Pike Zone Drillhole WMA079-01 Intersects 8.3 Metres At 24.82% Eu3o8 Including 5.5 Metres At 37.09% Eu3o8

    MENA FN 22 Apr 2025
    (MENAFN - Newsfile Corp) Pike Zone Unconformity Uranium Mineralization Footprint Expanded to 250 Metres Strike Length and Remains Open CanAlaska Concludes Winter Drill Program on West McArthur ... .
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    Sitka Gold Intersects 108.9 Metres Of 3.27 G/T Gold Including 45.0 Metres Of 4.52 G/T ...

    MENA FN 22 Apr 2025
    (MENAFN - Newsfile Corp) DDRCC-25-075 ("Hole 75") delivers best high-grade intercept drilled to date at Blackjack with 352.8 m of 1.55 g/t gold including 108.9 m of 3.27 g/t gold and 45.0 m ... .
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