# meter

Pronunciation: US say "MEE-ter" /ˈmitəɹ/; UK say "MEE-tuh" /ˈmiːtə/

## Noun

1. The basic unit of length in the International System of Units, equal to the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second, or about 39.37 inches.
   - Simple: The main metric unit for measuring length, a little more than 39 inches.
   - _Divers found the wreck at a depth of about forty meters._
   - _The old castle wall is nearly a meter thick at its base._
2. A device that measures and records the amount or rate of something, such as gas, water, or electricity.
   - Simple: A tool that measures something, such as how much water, gas, or power you use.
   - _An inspector came to read the gas meter in the basement._
   - _The meter on the dashboard tracks fuel consumption._
3. A coin- or card-operated device that collects payment, especially for parking a vehicle for a set period.
   - Simple: A street machine where you pay, usually to park your car for a set time.
   - _She topped up the meter to avoid a fine while she shopped._
   - _Every meter on the block now accepts contactless cards._
5. The rhythmic pattern or measure of language, especially verse, and of musical composition.
   - Simple: The beat or rhythm of language, especially in poems, and of music.
   - _The translator kept the original meter, so each line still falls into five beats._
   - _A waltz is written in triple meter, with three beats to every bar._

## Verb

4. To measure the amount of something using a measuring device.
   - Simple: To measure something, such as power or water, using a special device.
   - _Utilities meter electricity in order to bill customers accurately._
   - _Our building doesn't meter each apartment's water, so the bill is split evenly._
6. To regulate the flow of something, or release it in measured amounts, usually a fluid, but sometimes things like breath or anticipation.
   - Simple: To let something out slowly in small, controlled amounts.
   - _The valve meters oxygen into the tank at a steady rate._
   - _A skilled storyteller will meter suspense, releasing it line by line._
7. To imprint mail with a postage mark using a postage meter rather than an adhesive stamp.
   - Simple: To stamp mail with a postage mark using a machine instead of a stamp.
   - _Large companies meter their outgoing mail to save time at the post office._
   - _The clerk metered each envelope before it went out._

## Noun

8. A person who metes out or measures something, such as goods or grain. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A person whose job is to measure or weigh things.
9. A poem; a composition written in verse. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A poem, or a piece of writing in verse.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A reinforcing line running along the upper or lower edge of a hanging net, to which the net is attached to strengthen it.

## Origin

**Meanings 2–4, 6–8** — From Middle English metere ("one who measures"), perhaps from Old English metend, built from mete ("to measure") plus -er. The shift from "person who measures" to "device that measures" was probably helped by words like barometer that use -meter.
**Meaning 1** — Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron, "measure") lies behind French mètre, which English then took from French.
**Meanings 5, 9** — Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron) gave Latin metrum, which entered Old English as meter and Old French as metre. Both fed into Middle English meter.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/meter (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).