early 15c., "bishop having oversight of other bishops," from Late Latin metropolitanus, from Greek metropolis "mother city" (from which others have been colonized), also "capital city," from meter "mother" (see mother (n.1)) + polis "city" (see polis).
In Greek, "parent state of a colony;" later, "see of a metropolitan bishop." In the West, the position now roughly corresponds to archbishop, but in the Greek church it ranks above it.
1540s, "belonging to an ecclesiastical metropolis," from Late Latin metropolitanus, from Greek metropolites "resident of a city," from metropolis (see metropolitan (n.)). Meaning "belonging to a chief or capital city" is from 1550s. In reference to underground city railways, it is attested from 1867.
双语例句
1. He is currently being held in a metropolitan correctional center.
他现在被关在一个大城市的改造中心。
来自柯林斯例句
2. This is yet another slur on the integrity of the Metropolitan Police.
这是对伦敦市警察局刚正廉明作风的又一次诽谤。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The Metropolitan Police say clear-up figures were improved.
伦敦警方称破案率在过去有所提高。
来自柯林斯例句
4. the New York metropolitan area
纽约市区
来自《权威词典》
5. Canadian French is different from the language of metropolitan France.
