metronome

noun met·ro·nome \ ˈme-trə-ˌnōm \

|Updated on: 30 Jul 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of metronome

: an device designed to mark exact time by a regularly repeated tick

See metronome defined for English-language learners

See metronome defined for kids

metronome was our Word of the Day on 08/18/2008. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of metronome from the Web

At Ojai, musicians held the metronomes while standing in the aisles.

— alex ross, The New Yorker, "The Sonic Fury of the Ojai Music Festival," 24 June 2018
Far from orchestrating the game in a metronome like fashion, Super Jack was ducking and weaving throughout, using his slight frame to implausibly wiggle out of oncoming challenges.

— SI.com, "Why Chelsea Should Take a Punt on Super Jack Wilshere and Make Him the Golden Boy He Deserves to Be," 22 June 2018
Maor offers a brief account of the invention of the metronome, a piece of technology for fixing and marking tempo and some of the ways in which this form of measurement has proved inspiring.

— paul grimstad, The New Republic, "Can You Measure How Good a Song Is?," 21 June 2018
Unlike Stephen Curry, who seemingly uses his entire body to hoist three-pointers, Thompson is a jump-shooting metronome: plant, catch, release.

— connor letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "Klay Thompson: How Warriors guard made a case for team MVP," 2 July 2018
Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez were the twin hearts of Spain's rise, offensive metronomes who elevated tiki-taka to supremacy at Barcelona and Spain.

— ronald blum, chicagotribune.com, "'Tiki-taka' generation ends as Spain leave the World Cup," 1 July 2018
His metronome was a hit with composers, among them his friend Ludwig von Beethoven who, caught in a rare whimsical mood, improvised a tune in honor of Maelzel’s machine.

— paul grimstad, The New Republic, "Can You Measure How Good a Song Is?," 21 June 2018
There’s also just the right amount of veteran savvy: defenders Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piqué, and beloved midfield metronome Andrés Iniesta.

— jonathan tannenwald, Philly.com, "2018 World Cup: Previewing everything from Messi and Ronaldo to the best teams and matches," 13 June 2018
Millie, who is part pit and part mystery (probably boxer, maybe lab, Burger guesses), popped up to a sit position to encourage more scratches, her tail sweeping the floor with the rhythm of a metronome.

— marissa conrad, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago dog bars: Where everyone knows your pup's name," 30 May 2018

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

Did You Know?

The patent for the metronome was entered in 1816: "John Malzl [sic], of Poland-street, Middlesex, Machinist; for an instrument . . . which he denominates a Metronome, or musical time-keeper." The courts, however, later proved that the aforementioned Johann Maelzel copied a pendulum design of Dietrich Winkel, making Winkel the actual inventor. Nonetheless, Maelzel was the more successful marketer of the metronome and even has a notation named after him. The "M.M." in notations like "M.M. = 60" stands for "Maelzel's metronome" and indicates a tempo of 60 beats per minute or a beat per tick of the metronome as it ticks 60 times, in the case of our example. The name of the invention itself is based on the Greek words metron, meaning "measure," and nomos, meaning "law."