meter
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a device that measures and records the amount of something used, such as gas, water, or electricity.
n.an instrument used to measure and record the quantity or rate of flow of a substance or energy.
Simple“The technician came to read the electric meter in the basement.”
In context“The utility company installed a smart meter to provide real-time data on household energy consumption and peak usage patterns.”
- 02 A1 Beginner
n.a unit of length equal to 100 centimetres.
n.the SI base unit of length, equivalent to approximately 39.37 inches.
Simple“The fabric is one meter wide and three meters long.”
In context“The Olympic swimming pool is exactly fifty meters in length, meeting the international standards for competitive racing.”
UsageSpelt 'metre' in British English and most other varieties of English.
PitfallThe 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.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the regular pattern of beats in a piece of music or a poem.
n.the rhythmic structure of a verse or musical composition, determined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables or beats.
Simple“The poem has a very fast meter that makes it sound like a song.”
In context“The composer experimented with an irregular meter, intentionally disrupting the listener's expectations of a standard four-four time signature.”
Teacher's tipIn British English, this sense is also spelt 'metre'.
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to measure something with a device or to control how much of something flows out.
v.to measure by means of a meter or to regulate the delivery of a substance in specific amounts.
Simple“The pump is designed to meter the chemicals into the water tank slowly.”
In context“The system is calibrated to meter the oxygen supply precisely, ensuring the environment remains stable throughout the duration of the experiment.”
UsageOften used in engineering or industrial contexts regarding fluid or power flow.
Usage meters deep
“Single-dish telescopes are as large as 1,640 feet (500 meters) across .”
“There is a taller statue of the Virgin Mary in the Philippines, which measures 98 metres.”
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”).
Borrowed from French mètre, itself borrowed from Latin metrum, borrowed from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron).
From Middle English meter, metre, from Old English meter and Old French metre; both from Latin metrum, from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.