metro
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.an underground train system in a large city.
n.an urban rapid transit rail system, typically underground, serving a metropolitan area.
Simple“We took the metro to the city centre because it was faster than the bus.”
In context“The city's metro network underwent a massive expansion to accommodate the influx of commuters from the newly developed northern suburbs.”
UsageOften used with the definite article 'the'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a large city and the smaller towns around it.
n.a metropolitan area, including a central city and its surrounding suburbs.
Simple“The population of the Tokyo metro is over thirty-five million people.”
In context“Planners are struggling to manage the rapid growth of the metro, as infrastructure in the outlying districts fails to keep pace with residential development.”
Synonymsmetropolisurban areaAntonymscountrysiderural area - 03 C1 Advanced
adj.related to a large city.
adj.relating to or denoting a metropolis or a large urban area; a clipped form of 'metropolitan'.
Simple“The metro police department handles security for the entire city.”
In context“The candidate focused her campaign on metro issues, specifically targeting the concerns of young professionals living in the downtown core.”
SynonymsAntonyms
From French métro, clipping of métropolitain (from Ancient Greek μήτηρ (mḗtēr, “mother”) + πόλις (pólis, “city”)), as in the Chemin de fer métropolitain, an early name for the Paris Métro. This name was a direct translation of "Metropolitan Railway", which was the original name of the earliest part of the London Underground, constructed in 1863.
Clipping of metropolitan.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.