2 PHRASE For the meantime means for a period of time from now until something else happens. □ The Prime Minister has, for the meantime, seen off the challenge of the opposition.
mean|while ◆◆◇ /miː n h wa I l/
1 ADV Meanwhile means while a particular thing is happening. □ Bake the aubergines till soft. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy pan. □ Kate turned to beckon Peter across from the car, but Bill waved him back, meanwhile pushing Kate inside.
2 ADV Meanwhile means in the period of time between two events. □ You needn't worry; I'll be ready to greet them. Meanwhile I'm off to discuss the Fowler's party with Felix.
3 ADV You use meanwhile to introduce a different aspect of a particular situation, especially one that is completely opposite to the one previously mentioned. □ Almost four million households are in debt to their energy company. Meanwhile, suppliers profits have doubled.
mea|sles /miː z ə lz/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] Measles is an infectious illness that gives you a high temperature and red spots on your skin.
mea|sly /miː zli/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe an amount, quantity, or size as measly , you are critical of it because it is very small or inadequate. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ All they get by way of thanks is a measly bottle of wine. □ …a measly twelve-year-old like me.
meas|ur|able /me ʒərəb ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as measurable , you mean that it is large enough to be noticed or to be significant. [FORMAL ] □ Both leaders seemed to expect measurable progress. ● meas|ur|ably ADV [ADV adj/adv, ADV with v] □ The old man's voice was measurably weaker than the last time they'd talked.
2 ADJ Something that is measurable can be measured. □ Economists emphasize measurable quantities–the number of jobs, the per capita income.
meas|ure ◆◆◇ /me ʒə r / (measures , measuring , measured )
1 VERB If you measure the quality, value, or effect of something, you discover or judge how great it is. □ [V n prep] I continued to measure his progress against the charts in the doctor's office. □ [V n] It was difficult to measure the precise impact of the labor action.
2 VERB If you measure a quantity that can be expressed in numbers, such as the length of something, you discover it using a particular instrument or device, for example a ruler. □ [V n] Measure the length and width of the gap.
3 VERB [no cont] If something measures a particular length, width, or amount, that is its size or intensity, expressed in numbers. □ [V amount] The house is more than twenty metres long and measures six metres in width.
4 N‑SING A measure of a particular quality, feeling, or activity is a fairly large amount of it. [FORMAL ] □ The colonies were claiming a larger measure of self-government.
5 N‑SING If you say that one aspect of a situation is a measure of that situation, you mean that it shows that the situation is very serious or has developed to a very great extent. □ [+ of ] That is a measure of how bad things have become at the bank.
6 N‑COUNT [oft N to-inf] When someone, usually a government or other authority, takes measures to do something, they carry out particular actions in order to achieve a particular result. [FORMAL ] □ The government warned that police would take tougher measures to contain the trouble. [Also + against ]
7 N‑COUNT A measure of a strong alcoholic drink such as brandy or whisky is an amount of it in a glass. In pubs and bars, a measure is an official standard amount. □ [+ of ] He poured himself another generous measure of malt.
8 N‑COUNT In music, a measure is one of the several short parts of the same length into which a piece of music is divided. [AM ] in BRIT, use bar 9 → see also measured , measuring , counter-measure , half measure , tape measure
10 PHRASE If you say that something has changed or that it has affected you beyond measure , you are emphasizing that it has done this to a great extent. [EMPHASIS ] □ Mankind's knowledge of the universe has increased beyond measure.
11 PHRASE If you say that something is done for good measure , you mean that it is done in addition to a number of other things. □ I repeated my question for good measure.
12 PHRASE If you get or take the measure of someone or something, you discover what they are like, so that you are able to control them or deal with them. If you have the measure of someone or something, you have succeeded in doing this. □ The governments of the industrialized world had failed to get the measure of the crisis. □ Lili was the only person I knew who had the measure of her brother.
13 PHRASE If something is true in some measure or in large measure , it is partly or mostly true. [FORMAL ] □ Power is in some measure an act of will.
▸ measure out PHRASAL VERB If you measure out a certain amount of something, you measure that amount and take it or mark it because it is the amount that you want or need. □ [V P n] I'd already measured out the ingredients. [Also V n P ]
▸ measure up PHRASAL VERB If you do not measure up to a standard or to someone's expectations, you are not good enough to achieve the standard or fulfil the person's expectations. □ [V P + to ] It was fatiguing sometimes to try to measure up to her standard of perfection. □ [V P ] She's always comparing me to other people, and somehow I never measure up. SYNONYMS measure VERB 1