metro

Everyday

1. A metro is an underground railway system in a city, also called a subway (US) or the Underground or Tube (London). tree →
2. (US, Canada, Australia, informal) Metro means the whole city area including its suburbs, as in «the metro area». tree →
3. Metro is part of the names of some newspapers, buses and shops. tree →

In the lessons

In geography lessons about cities, metros help millions of people travel quickly without cars, reducing traffic and pollution. In maths, metro maps are diagrams that show the order of stations and changes, not real distances. In everyday life, children may ride the Paris Métro, the Montreal Metro or the Tyne and Wear Metro. Phrases: «take the metro», «metro station», «metro map», «metro area».

Examples

• We took the metro to the museum. tree →
• The metro station was crowded at rush hour. tree →
• In Paris, the Métro has stations with pretty old signs. tree →
• The metro map shows lines in different colours. tree →
• The storm stopped the metro trains for an hour. tree →
• The Toronto metro area has millions of people. tree →

Note

Countable noun. «Metro» comes from French «métropolitain». Names vary: Underground or Tube (London), subway (New York), Metro (Paris, Washington, Newcastle, Montreal). «Metric» is a different word (measurements).