mether
UK/ˈmɛðə/US/ˈmɛðɚ/
mether numeral: four in the old counting system of Northern England.
Numeral
mether
- Four in the old counting system of Northern England.
Noun
mether (plural methers)
- A communal drinking vessel used in Gaelic times for drinking mead. It had squared sides and one drank from a corner. Also, a trophy in this shape.
- I raise to you, O Queen, this Loving Cup, this Mether,
Filled with Mead
Made from honey of the heather1912 James Henry Cousins, "The Loving Cup" I (Etain the Beloved and Other Poems, p.84) (Maunsel & Co) - Lord Herbert and Mr. Luke White were to be seen on the roof pouring water down the chimney, while the Marchioness of Ormonde was seen carrying the Regimental Cup (the silver Irish mether to be competed for) from the scene of the fire.1912 "Our Lady Correspondent" "Fashions at Leopardstown" The Irish Times 27 August 1912, p.8
- I raise to you, O Queen, this Loving Cup, this Mether,
Forms of mether
| Numeral | |
|---|---|
| alternative form | methera |
| Noun | |
| plural | methers |
| alternative form | medar |
| alternative form | meather |
| alternative form | madder |
Origin of mether
From Cumbric numerals; compare Welsh mhedwar, the nasal mutation of pedwar (“four”).
From Irish meadar, from Old Irish metar, from Latin metrum. Doublet of metre, meter, and metron.
Words formed from mether
- mether-a-dick
- mether-a-bumfit
Words that rhyme with mether
Questions about mether
- What does mether mean?
- Mether means four in the old counting system of Northern England.
- What part of speech is mether?
- Mether can be a numeral or a noun.
- How do you pronounce mether?
- Mether is pronounced /ˈmɛðɚ/ (US).
Words near mether in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: mether (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Cite this entry: “mether.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/mether. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.