mete

verb

\ ˈmēt

meted; meting

Definition of mete

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to give out by measure : dole out She realized the stern retribution which justice metes to the murderer. —Edgar Rice Burroughs —usually used with out mete out punishment

2 archaic : measure

mete

noun

Definition of mete (Entry 2 of 2)

: boundary metes and bounds

Examples of mete in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Tyrion describes his memories of Orson's beetle genocide in vivid detail, unable to understand why anyone would mete out so much violence for no apparent reason. — Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Game of Thrones' Podcast: Smashing Back Into "The Mountain and the Viper"," 11 July 2018 The victims of a New York road rage incident last week say their attackers were attempting to mete out vigilante justice — but chose the wrong targets, and yelled racial slurs at them. — Jared Gilmour, miamiherald, "‘We are the white supremacists:’ NY drivers hit black family’s SUV with frying pan, witnesses say | Miami Herald," 17 May 2018 The Bias Response Team is there, ready to investigate and mete out justice. — Jillian Kay Melchior, WSJ, "The Bias Response Team Is Watching," 8 May 2018 Finally, Bandes explains, the statements leave judges wondering whether, for example, they are supposed to mete out a more severe punishment on behalf of the rape victim who gives a more compelling statement. — Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, "The Rise of the Victims’-Rights Movement," 14 May 2018 On the latter, Pompeo has advocated more punitive actions than the president has been willing to mete out. — Karoun Demirjian, BostonGlobe.com, "Senate confirms Mike Pompeo as Trump’s next secretary of state," 26 Apr. 2018 On the latter, Pompeo has advocated more punitive actions than the president has been willing to mete out. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Senate confirms Mike Pompeo as secretary of state," 26 Apr. 2018 On the latter, Pompeo has advocated more punitive actions than the president has been willing to mete out. — Karoun Demirjian, chicagotribune.com, "Senate confirms Mike Pompeo as Trump's next secretary of state," 26 Apr. 2018 Prosecutors like Zahnd said authorities need to mete out long criminal sentences anytime someone uses a gun during a drug deal. — Glenn E. Rice, kansascity, "The marijuana myth: Low-level drug deals turn deadly for KC's suburban teens | The Kansas City Star," 14 Apr. 2018

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