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mere

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The definition of mere is nothing more than or a small, unimportant thing or amount.

(adjective)

An example of mere is using just a teaspoon of lemon for a gallon of cake batter.

See mere in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective merest

nothing more or other than; only (as said to be): a mere boy
Obsolete unmixed; pure
Obsolete absolute; downright

Origin: ME < L merus, unmixed, pure < IE base *mer-, to sparkle > morning, OE amerian, to purify

noun

Old Poet. a lake or pond
Brit., Dialectal a marsh
Obsolete
1. the sea
2. an arm of the sea

Origin: ME < OE: see mare

noun

Chiefly Brit., Now Dial. a boundary

Origin: ME < OE (ge)mære < IE base *mei-, to secure, a post, wooden wall > L murus, wall

part: blastomere

Origin: < Gr meros, a part: see merit

See mere in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective Superlative mer·est

Being nothing more than what is specified: a mere child; a mere 50 cents an hour.
Considered apart from anything else: shocked by the mere idea.
Small; slight: could detect only the merest whisper.
Obsolete Pure; unadulterated.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English, absolute, pure

Origin: , from Old French mier, pure

Origin: , from Latin merus

noun

A small lake, pond, or marsh: “Sometimes on lonely mountain meres/I find a magic bark” (Tennyson).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English; see mori- in Indo-European roots

noun
Archaic

A boundary.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English mǣre

or -mer

suffix

Part; segment: blastomere.

Origin:

Origin: French

Origin: , from Greek meros, part; see (s)mer-² in Indo-European roots

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