metre

Everyday

1. A metre is a measure of length; a big step is about one metre. tree →
2. A meter is also a machine that measures something, like a water meter or a parking meter. tree →
3. Metre can mean the beat in a poem or a song. tree →

In the lessons

the unit the lengths are told in: a metre is 100 centimetres, a kilometre is 1000 metres; in sport races are run in metres; phrases: «metres long», «metres wide», «metres high», «square metre», «per metre»

Examples

• A rope is 21 metres long. tree →
• Sam runs 100 metres. tree →
• The garden is 8 metres long and 5 metres wide. tree →
• A metre is 100 centimetres. tree →
• A kilometre is 1000 metres. tree →
• The door is about 2 metres high. tree →
• The giraffe is over 5 metres tall. tree →
• Measure the room with a metre stick. tree →

Note

«A metre is 100 centimetres.» «A kilometre is 1000 metres.» Short form: m (21 m). Lengths in the same unit are added and taken away like counts. Trap: check that both lengths use metres before adding.