rice, USA, metre
米 centers on rice as a staple grain. The meanings 'USA' and 'metre' are phonetic borrowings used in ateji compounds, not extensions of the rice idea.
米 is a pictograph of a rice plant with grains. The modern form retains the central stalk and radiating grains.
The four small strokes around the central cross look like grains of rice on a plant. Picture a rice stalk with grains ready for harvest.
For ベイ, imagine a bay where rice is grown: bay -> ベイ, and the rice fields stretch along the water.
(husked grains of) rice
(United States of) America; USA
(United States of) America; USA; US
Europe and the United States; Europe and America; the West
all-America; pan-American; all of America
North America
South America
new rice; first rice crop of the year
polished rice; (uncooked) white rice
unpolished rice; unmilled rice; brown rice
rice granary
Central and South America
rice polishing; polished rice
anti-American
visit to the United States
staying in the United States; residing in the United States; being situated in the United States (of a foreign embassy, company, etc.)
cooked rice
American (person)
rice
rice price
foreign rice
relating to the USA; toward America; with America
Japan and the United States; Japanese-American
pre-washed rice; wash-free rice; musenmai