Illustration of metronome
metronome
noun
met·ro·nome
ˈme-trə-ˌnōm 
: a device designed to mark exact time by a regularly repeated tick
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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."
Examples of metronome in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The loss and the heartbreak and the things left unsaid between her and Joel is the motivating metronome behind all the narrative beats.
—
Matt Minton, Variety, 12 May 2025
Sinner is a brilliant technician, a precise metronome in action, while Alcaraz can charge up his firepower and then go out of bounds.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Marsh described the 11th-year guard as an extension of the coaching staff on the court, providing a crucial metronome for the rest of the team.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
For the coda, Shostakovich and Mravinsky apparently settled on a metronome marking of eighth note = 184 or 188.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
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Matt Minton, Variety, 12 May 2025
Sinner is a brilliant technician, a precise metronome in action, while Alcaraz can charge up his firepower and then go out of bounds.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Marsh described the 11th-year guard as an extension of the coaching staff on the court, providing a crucial metronome for the rest of the team.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
For the coda, Shostakovich and Mravinsky apparently settled on a metronome marking of eighth note = 184 or 188.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for metronome
Cite this Entry
“Metronome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metronome. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
metronome
noun
met·ro·nome
ˈme-trə-ˌnōm
: an instrument that ticks regularly to help a music student play in exact time
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