meter
meter Lexical Profile
meter Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American The fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 100 centimeters or approximately 39.37 inches.
"She won the gold medal by running the 100-meter dash in record time."
An instrument or device that measures, records, and indicates the quantity, rate, or volume of something passing through it.
"The utility company sent a technician to read the electrical meter on the side of the house."
American The systematically arranged and measured rhythm in verse, determining the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
"Shakespeare frequently wrote his plays in iambic pentameter, a highly structured poetic meter."
• verb
To measure or regulate the flow or amount of something using an instrument or device.
"The new traffic lights metered the flow of cars merging onto the busy highway during rush hour."
To dispense or supply something in carefully measured or regulated amounts.
"During the severe drought, the city metered out the remaining water reserves to its residents."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, 'meter' is the standard spelling for the unit of length, poetic rhythm, and measuring devices. In British English, the unit of length and poetic rhythm are spelled 'metre', while the measuring device remains 'meter'.
• Rhymes for meter
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derives from the Greek 'metron' (measure) via Latin 'metrum' and French 'mètre'. The sense referring to a measuring device arose independently in Middle English from the verb 'mete' (to measure) combined with the suffix '-er'.