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meter

me·ter

UK/ˈmitəɹ/ US/ˈmiɾɚ/ fairly common us
noun (4) verb (2)

noun

1.

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d''Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

Synonyms
2.

any of various measuring instruments for measuring a quantity

3.
4.

verb

1.

measure with a meter

  • “meter the flow of water”
2.

stamp with a meter indicating the postage

  • “meter the mail”

Origin

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”).

Phrases

  • Ampère meter
  • asymmetric meter
  • asymmetrical meter
  • common meter
  • compound meter
  • cover meter
  • digital meter
  • drift meter
  • dry meter
  • duple meter
  • electric meter
  • electricity meter

Related words

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.