MERE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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mere

[ meer ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

superlative merest.

being nothing more nor better than:
a mere pittance;
He is still a mere child.
Obsolete.
1. pure and unmixed, as wine, a people, or a language.
2. fully as much as what is specified; completely fulfilled or developed; absolute.

mere

[ meer ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Chiefly British Dialect. a lake or pond.
Obsolete. any body of sea water.

mere

or mear

[ meer ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

British Dialect.

a boundary or boundary marker.

��è��

⁴

[ mer; English mair ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

French.

plural ��è��s

mother ¹.

-mere

⁵

a combining form meaning “part,” used in the formation of compound words:
blastomere.

-mere

combining form

indicating a part or division
blastomere

mere

/ ��ɪə /

adjective

being nothing more than something specified
she is a mere child

mere

/ ��ɪə /

noun

archaic.
a lake or marsh
obsolete.
the sea or an inlet of it

mere

⁴

/ ��ɪə /

noun

archaic.
a boundary or boundary marker

mere

⁵

/ ˈ��ɛ��ɪ /

noun

a short flat striking weapon

–m��

A suffix meaning “part” or “segment,” as in blastomere, one of the cells that form a blastula.

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Derived Forms

-meric, combining_form:in_adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of mere¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mer(e) “pure, clear, unmixed,” from Old French mier, mer, from Latin merus “pure, unmixed, simple, mere”

Origin of mere²

First recorded before 900; Middle English mere, mer, meire, Old English mer, mære “sea, ocean, lake, pond, well, cistern,” cognate with German Meer, Old Norse marr, Gothic marei, Old Irish muir, Latin mare

Origin of mere³

First recorded before 900; Middle English mere, mer, merre, Old English mǣre, ��ǣ��; cognate with Old Norse ��æ�� “boundary, border land”; akin to Latin ��ū��ܲ� “defensive wall, city wall, boundary wall”

Origin of mere⁴

Combining form representing Greek ��é��ǲ�

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of mere¹

from Greek meros part, portion

Origin of mere²

C15: from Latin merus pure, unmixed

Origin of mere³

Old English mere sea, lake; related to Old Saxon meri sea, Old Norse marr, Old High German mari; compare Latin mare

Origin of mere⁴

Old English ��ǣ��

Origin of mere⁵

��ǰ��

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Synonym Study

Mere, bare imply a scant sufficiency. They are often interchangeable, but mere frequently means no more than (enough). Bare suggests scarcely as much as (enough). Thus a mere livelihood means enough to live on but no more; a bare livelihood means scarcely enough to live on.

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�y��vlogs That Use -mere

What does -mere mean?

The combining form -mere is used like a suffix meaning “part.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology and anatomy.

The form -mere comes from Greek ��é��ǲ�, meaning “part” or “portion.” From this same source, we also get the combining forms -mer and -merous. Want to know more? Check out our �y��vlogs That Use entries for both forms.

Examples of -mere

One example of a scientific term that features the combining form -mere is osteomere, “one of a series of similar bone segments, such as a vertebra.”

The combining form osteo- means “bone,” from Greek �ǲ��é�ǲ�. Because -mere means “part,” osteomere literally translates to “bone part.”

What are some words that use the combining form -mere?

Though they’re spelled similarly, the combining form -mere is not related to the adjective mere. Find out more at our entry for mere.

Break it down!

The combining form neuro- means “nerves” or “nervous system.” With this in mind, what does the anatomical term neuromere literally mean?

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