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meter

n. · v.
US //ˈmitɝ// UK //mˈiːtɐ// me·ter
  1. 1 measuring device (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a device that measures and records the amount of something used, such as gas, water, or electricity.

    an instrument used to measure and record the quantity or rate of flow of a substance or energy.

    Example

    The technician came to read the electric meter in the basement.

    Example

    The utility company installed a smart meter to provide real-time data on household energy consumption and peak usage patterns.
  2. 2 unit of length (n.)
    A1 Beginner American English Science

    a unit of length equal to 100 centimetres.

    the SI base unit of length, equivalent to approximately 39.37 inches.

    Example

    The fabric is one meter wide and three meters long.

    Example

    The Olympic swimming pool is exactly fifty meters in length, meeting the international standards for competitive racing.

    Usage

    Spelt 'metre' in British English and most other varieties of English.

    Pitfall
    The table is two meter long.
    The table is two meters long.

    When used as a noun with a number greater than one, 'meter' must be plural.

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  1. 3 rhythm in music or poetry (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate American English Music

    the regular pattern of beats in a piece of music or a poem.

    the rhythmic structure of a verse or musical composition, determined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables or beats.

    Example

    The poem has a very fast meter that makes it sound like a song.

    Example

    The composer experimented with an irregular meter, intentionally disrupting the listener's expectations of a standard four-four time signature.

    Teacher's tip

    In British English, this sense is also spelt 'metre'.
  2. 4 to measure or regulate (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    to measure something with a device or to control how much of something flows out.

    to measure by means of a meter or to regulate the delivery of a substance in specific amounts.

    Example

    The pump is designed to meter the chemicals into the water tank slowly.

    Example

    The system is calibrated to meter the oxygen supply precisely, ensuring the environment remains stable throughout the duration of the experiment.

    Usage

    Often used in engineering or industrial contexts regarding fluid or power flow.
Etymology 1

From Middle English metere (“one who measures, measurer”), perhaps (with change in suffix) from Old English metend (“one who measures or metes”), equivalent to mete (“to measure”) + -er. The transference from "person who measures" to "device that measures" was probably assisted by association with -meter, as in barometer, etc. Cognate with Scots mettar, metter (“meter, measurer”), Saterland Frisian Meter, Meeter (“measurer, measuring device, gauge”), West Frisian mjitter (“measurer”), Dutch meter (“measurer, gauge”), German Low German Meter (“measuring device, gauge”), German Messer (“measurer, measuring device, gauge”), Swedish mätare (“measurer”).

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French mètre, itself borrowed from Latin metrum, borrowed from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron).

Etymology 3

From Middle English meter, metre, from Old English meter and Old French metre; both from Latin metrum, from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron).

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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