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metric (adj.)[metric 词源字典]: "pertaining to the system of measures based on the meter," 1855, from French métrique, from mèter (see meter (n.2)). In this sense, metrical is attested from 1797.[metric etymology, metric origin, 英语词源]
metric (n.): "science of versification," 1760, from Greek he metrike "prosody," plural of metron "meter, a verse; that by which anything is measured; measure, length, size, limit, proportion" (see meter (n.2)).
metrical (adj.): "pertaining to versification," early 15c., from Latin metricus "metrical," from Greek metrikos "of or for meter, metrical," from metron "poetic meter" (see meter (n.2)). Old English had meterlic in this sense.
metricize (v.): "convert to the metric system," 1873, from metric (adj.) + -ize. Related: Metricized; metricizing. Earlier, "to convert to poetic meter" (1850; see metric (n.)).
metrics (n.): "study of meter," 1892, variant of metric (n.); also see -ics.
Metro (n.): Paris underground, 1904, from French abbreviation of Chemin de Fer Métropolitain "Metropolitan Railway" (see metropolitan (adj.)). French chemin de fer "railroad" is literally "iron road."
Metroliner (n.): U.S. high-speed inter-city train, 1969, from metropolitan + liner.
metronome (n.): mechanical musical time-keeper, 1815, coined in English from comb. form of Greek metron "measure" (see meter (n.2)) + -nomos "regulating," verbal adjective of nemein "to regulate" (see numismatic). The device invented 1815 by Johann Maelzel (1772-1838), German civil engineer and showman. Related: Metronomic.
metronymic (adj.): "derived from the name of a mother or maternal ancestor," 1881, from Late Greek metronymikos "named for one's mother," from meter (genitive metros) "mother" (see mother (n.1)) + onyma (see name (n.)). Related: Metronymically (1822).
metropolis (n.): "seat of a metropolitan bishop," 1530s, from Late Latin metropolis; see metropolitan. Meaning "chief town or capital city of a province" is first attested 1580s, earlier metropol (late 14c.).
metropolitan (n.): early 15c., "bishop having oversight of other bishops," from Late Latin metropolitanus, from Greek metropolis "mother city" (from which others have been colonized), also "capital city," from meter "mother" (see mother (n.1)) + polis "city" (see polis).

In Greek, "parent state of a colony;" later, "see of a metropolitan bishop." In the West, the position now roughly corresponds to archbishop, but in the Greek church it ranks above it.
metropolitan (adj.): 1540s, "belonging to an ecclesiastical metropolis," from Late Latin metropolitanus, from Greek metropolites "resident of a city," from metropolis (see metropolitan (n.)). Meaning "belonging to a chief or capital city" is from 1550s. In reference to underground city railways, it is attested from 1867.
metropolitanism (n.): 1855, from metropolitan (adj.) + -ism.
metrosexual (adj.): by 2001, from metropolitan + -sexual, ending abstracted from homosexual, heterosexual.
mettle (n.): 1580s, variant spelling of metal, both forms used interchangeably (by Shakespeare and others) in the literal sense and in the figurative one of "stuff of which a person is made" (1550s) until the spellings and senses diverged early 18c.
mettlesome (adj.): 1660s, from mettle + -some (1).
mew (v.): "make a sound like a cat," early 14c., mewen, of imitative origin (compare German miauen, French miauler, Italian miagolare, Spanish maullar, and see meow). Related: Mewed; mewing. As a noun from 1590s.
mew (n.1): "seagull," Old English mæw, from Proto-Germanic *maigwis (cognates: Old Saxon mew, Frisian meau, Middle Dutch and Middle Low German mewe, Dutch meeuw "gull"), imitative of its cry. Old French moue (Modern French mouette) and Lithuanian mevas are Germanic loan-words.
mew (n.2): "cage," c. 1300, from Old French mue "cage for hawks, especially when molting," from muer "to molt," from Latin mutare "to change" (see mutable).
mewl (v.): "to cry feebly," c. 1600, imitative. Related: Mewled; mewling.