View synonyms for mere

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.

mère

⁴

[ mer; English mair ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

French.

plural mères

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

/ mɪə /

adjective

being nothing more than something specified
she is a mere child

mere

/ mɪə /

noun

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

mere

⁴

/ mɪə /

noun

archaic.
a boundary or boundary marker

mere

⁵

/ ˈmɛrɪ /

noun

a short flat striking weapon

–mere

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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Word 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, gemǣre; cognate with Old Norse mæri “boundary, border land”; akin to Latin mūrus “defensive wall, city wall, boundary wall”

Origin of mere⁴

Combining form representing Greek méros

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Word 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 gemǣre

Origin of mere⁵

Māori

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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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