acre

noun

\ ˈā-kər

Definition of acre

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a archaic : a field especially of arable land or pastureland

b acres plural : lands, estate

2 : any of various units of area specifically : a unit in the U.S. and England equal to 43,560 square feet (4047 square meters) — see Weights and Measures Table

3 : a broad expanse or great quantity acres of free publicity

Acre

geographical name (1)

\ ˈä-krē

, -(ˌ)krā

Definition of Acre (Entry 2 of 3)

state in western Brazil bordering on Peru and Bolivia; capital Rio Branco area 59,343 square miles (153,698 square kilometers), population 733,559

Acre

geographical name (2)

\ ˈä-kər

, ˈā-kər, ˈä-krə

variants: or Hebrew ʽAkko or Old Testament Accho \ ˈä-kō

, ˈā- \ or New Testament Ptolemaïs \ ˌtä-lə-ˈmā-əs

Definition of Acre (Entry 3 of 3)

city and port at the head of a bay on the Mediterranean Sea north of Mount Carmel in northwestern Israel population 37,400

Examples of acre in a Sentence

Noun

The house sits on two acres of land. They own hundreds of acres of farmland.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

An additional 13 acres of the 34-acre former U.S. Army Reserve post would be held as open, natural areas for activities such as picnicking and viewing, while 4 to 5 wooded acres would be incorporated into Discovery Park. — Daniel Beekman, The Seattle Times, "After long delays, Seattle mayor will advance $90 million plan for low-income housing at Fort Lawton," 4 Feb. 2019 The Camp Fire is 55 percent contained and has consumed more than 149,000 acres, CBS News reports. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "The Queen Issued an Official Statement to Donald Trump About the California Wildfires," 18 Nov. 2018 For a thorough wellness immersion, COMO Shambhala Estate is one of the earth's most exquisite locations, with truly immersive Ayurvedic and cleanse-focused regimens, acres of mossy forest paths, and its own holy water spring. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "Finding the Bali You Came For," 16 Nov. 2018 The five-year average for acres burned during that time frame was 18,587. — Gaby Del Valle, Vox, "The fires in California highlight — and worsen — the state’s income divide," 15 Nov. 2018 Since Saturday, authorities have searched more than 1,400 acres around the Rankin Lake Park using a helicopter from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and boat from the Charlotte Fire Department. — Travis Fedschun, Fox News, "FBI joins search for missing 6-year-old boy with autism in North Carolina," 24 Sep. 2018 In particular, this year’s Mendocino Complex fire is the largest on record for the state, with more than 300,000 acres already destroyed. — Rani Molla, Recode, "10 charts that sum up 2018 (so far)," 13 Aug. 2018 Occupying more than 14,000 acres, the pop-up metropolis features distinctive neighborhoods, extensive dining and entertainment, even a small airport. — Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, "The Vanishing City," 13 Aug. 2018 According to the National Interagency Fire Center, in 2018 alone, fires have consumed more than 4.5 million acres across the United States. — Lauren Young, Teen Vogue, "California Wildfires Are Proof of Climate Change, According to Governor Jerry Brown," 2 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acre.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for acre

Noun

Middle English aker, acre, going back to Old English æcer, going back to Germanic *akraz (whence also, with k geminate in West Germanic, Old Saxon akkar "field," Old High German ackar, Old Norse akr "arable land," Gothic akrs "field"), going back to Indo-European *h₂eǵros, whence also Latin ager, "piece of land, field," Greek agrós, Sanskrit ájraḥ,

Note: This Indo-European noun is traditionally linked to the verbal base *h₂eǵ- "drive (cattle, etc.)" (see agent, on the assumption that *h₂eǵ-ros originally meant "pasture," "fallow land," onto which the cattle were driven, and later developed other senses, as "cultivated field." The semantic plausibility of such a derivation has recently been questioned, however.

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