Meaning & use
metronome
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Meanings
nouncountablemusic
A device that clicks or flashes at an adjustable steady speed so a musician can keep an even tempo.
Grammar: Plural metronomes: practice with a metronome.
Patterns
- practice with a metronome
- set the metronome to a tempo
She set the metronome to sixty beats per minute.
The pianist practiced scales with a metronome.
An old wooden metronome sat on the piano.
nouncountablefigurative
Something or someone that keeps a perfectly regular, mechanical rhythm.
Grammar: Used figuratively, often after like or as: like a metronome.
Patterns
- like a metronome
The drummer was a human metronome and never rushed.
The rain tapped like a metronome on the roof.
He walked with metronome-like precision.
Word forms
| plural | metronomes |
|---|
Common combinations
- set a metronome
- Set a metronome to a slow speed first.
- play with a metronome
- Play with a metronome to improve timing.
- digital metronome
- She uses a digital metronome app.
- like a metronome
- His foot tapped like a metronome.
- human metronome
- The bassist is a human metronome.
Synonyms and how they differ
- timekeeper
- Timekeeper is a general word for a person or device that keeps time, not only in music.
- beat counter
- Beat counter is an informal description, while metronome is the standard term.
- click track
- Click track is a recorded click used in studios, rather than a stand-alone device.
Word family
Commonly confused: metronome or metronome?
metronome vs metronome
Not to be confused with metropolis, which is a large city.
Practice
A musician uses a metronome mainly to:
Choose one answer.
A metronome gives a regular beat to keep tempo steady. Tuning needs a tuner.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “metronome”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.