Messlatte
German, noun[ˈmɛsˌlatə]
Messlatte is spelled M-E-S-S-L-A-T-T-E (9 letters) and appears 1.1 times per million words in written German, the 35,692nd most frequent German word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Messlatte is a German feminine noun meaning “measuring pole, yardstick, especially a stationary one (e.g. for measuring body height)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The German Wiktionary defines it as “Stab mit Maßeinteilung, wie er im Vermessungswesen zur Entfernungsmessung benutzt wurde”.
What does Messlatte mean in English?
noun
- 1
femininemeasuring pole, yardstick, especially a stationary one (e.g. for measuring body height)
An dieser Messlatte ist eingezeichnet, wie stark in welchem Jahr das Hochwasser war.
- 2
femininethe diagonal bar over which the athlete attempts to jump
- 3
femininethreshold, bar, standard
die Messlatte höher legen
Source: English Wiktionary, German section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How German dictionaries define it
noun: 1. Stab mit Maßeinteilung, wie er im Vermessungswesen zur Entfernungsmessung benutzt wurde
The definition in the German Wiktionary, in German.
Source: German Wiktionary, dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of Messlatte
- Messlatten plural
- Meßlatte obsolete
Source: English Wiktionary and German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce Messlatte?
- [ˈmɛsˌlatə]
Sources: English Wiktionary, German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
How common is Messlatte in German?
Messlatte appears 1.1 times per million words in written German.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).