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A measure of the distance between points in multidimensional space (also called a metric). Distance measures are used with techniques such as cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling. The two measures most commonly used are Euclidean distance and the city-block metric.

Euclidean distance is the straight-line distance between two points, also called the l₂-metric. In d dimensions, if the positions of P and Q are given by the coordinates (p₁, p₂,..., p_d) and (q₁, q₂,..., q_d) then the Euclidean distance between P and Q is given by

. The city-block metric in two dimensions measures the distance between two points in a city if, for example, the only directions in which one could travel were north-south and east-west. It is also called the l₁-metric or Manhattan distance. In d dimensions the city-block distance between P and Q is given by


.


Distance measure. These are the two simplest of an infinite number of possible measures of distance.
A generalization of the previous measures is the Minkowski distance





where k is a positive integer. This is also called the l_k-metric.

The Chebyshev distance (the l_∞-metric) is the largest difference over the d dimensions


, Two other measures that have been proposed are the Canberra distance, given by


. and, in the context of counts of organisms, the Bray-Curtis distance (also called the Sorensen distance):

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Measurement. Although metric generally refers to a system of weights and measures, software engineers often use the term as simply "measurement." For example, "is there a metric for this process?" See software metrics.

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A decimal-based measurement system used throughout much of the world. For volume, the liter is the standard measurement and is equivalent to 33.8 fluid ounces. A milliliter is equal to one thousandth of a liter or 0.338 ounces; a centiliter is equal to one hundredth of a liter. A hectoliter is equal to 100 liters and is a common measurement of wine production in most European and South American countries. batf (now the tax and trade bureau) implemented the metric system for wine bottles in 1975, with mandatory compliance beginning in January of 1979. The size of a standard wine bottle is 750 milliliters or 75 centiliters or 0.75 liters. Other bottles both larger and smaller are based on this metric measurement. See also Wine Bottles, page 566.

1. of or pertaining to the metric system.
2. pertaining to measures or measurement.
3. having the meter as a basis.

• m. system — the system of units of measurement that is based on the meter, gram and liter, and in which new units are formed by prefixes denoting multiplication by a power of ten. See also Tables 4.1–4.6.

  See crossword solutions for the clue Metric .

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
adj. - metrisk
n. - et målesystem

idioms:

• metric system    metersystemet
• metric ton    meterton

2.
adj. - metrisk, på vers
n. - versefod

3.
n. - metrik

Nederlands (Dutch)
volgens het metrieke stelsel, betreffende matenstelsel/meter, standaardmaat, matenstelsel, (mv) deel van prosodie dat vers-structuur behandelt

Français (French)
1.
adj. - métrique
n. - système de mesure, (Math) espace métrique

idioms:

• metric system    (Mes) système métrique
• metric ton    (Mes) tonne métrique

2.
adj. - métrique (poésie)
n. - (Littérat) vers métrique

3.
n. - (Math) espace métrique

Deutsch (German)
1.
adj. - metrisch
n. - metrisches System, Metertonne

idioms:

• metric system    metrisches System
• metric ton    metrische Tonne (1000 Kilogramm)

2.
adj. - metrisch
n. - Metrik, Rhythmik

3.
n. - (Mus) Metrik

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - μετρικός, του δεκαδικού συστήματος, έμμετρος

idioms:

• metric system    μετρικό σύστημα
• metric ton    μετρικός τόνος

Italiano (Italian)
metrico

idioms:

• metric system    sitema metrico
• metric ton    tonnellata

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - métrico

idioms:

• metric system    sistema métrico (m)
• metric ton    tonelada métrica (f)

Русский (Russian)
метрический, метрика, измерительный

idioms:

• metric system    метрическая система
• metric ton    метрическая тонна

Español (Spanish)
1.
adj. - métrico
n. - métrico

idioms:

• metric system    sistema métrico
• metric ton    tonelada métrica

2.
adj. - métrica
n. - métrico

3.
n. - función matemática

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - meter-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 公尺的, 韵律的, 公制的, 诗韵的

idioms:

• metric system    公制, 十进制
• metric ton    公吨

2. 米制计算机专业, 公尺的, 韵律的, 公制的, 诗韵的

3. 米制计算机专业

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 米制電腦專業
adj. - 公尺的, 韻律的, 公制的, 詩韻的

2.
n. - 米制電腦專業

3.
adj. - 公尺的, 韻律的, 公制的, 詩韻的

idioms:

• metric system    公制, 十進位
• metric ton    公噸

한국어 (Korean)
1.
adj. - 미터[법]의
n. - (길이의 단위) 미터

2.
adj. - 시의
n. - 운율

3.
n. - 계량기

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - メートル法の, メートルの
n. - 距離

idioms:

• metric system    メートル法
• metric ton    メートルトン
• metric tonne    メートルトン

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) متري, مبني على المتر كوحدة قياس,‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮של שיטת המדידה העשרונית, של מדידה, מטרי‬
n. - ‮מערכת או תקן של מדידה, פונקציה מתמטית המתבססת על כמויות המקבילות למרחקים‬
adj. - ‮של משקלי שירה‬
n. - ‮משקלי שירה‬
n. - ‮של מרחק‬

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Some good "metric" pages on the web: