Meanings
meter1
plural meters
- countableuncountableA device that measures things.
- countabledateduncountableOne who metes or measures.
a labouring coal-meter
- UScountableuncountableA line above or below a hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen it.
present singular third person meters · participle present metering · participle past metered · past metered
- To measure with a metering device.
- To imprint a postage mark with a postage meter.
- To regulate the flow of or to deliver in regulated amounts (usually of fluids but sometimes of other things such as anticipation or breath).
meter2
plural meters
- UScountablestandarduncountableUS standard spelling of metre (“a unit of measure”).
No trees have grown on the windswept Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean for tens of thousands of years — just shrubs and other low-lying vegetation. That’s why a recent arboreal discovery nearly 20 feet (6 meters) beneath the ground caught researchers’ attention.
2024 September 27, Katie Hunt, “Scientists discover hidden ancient forest on treeless island”, in CNN
meter3
plural meters
- UScountablestandarduncountableUS standard spelling of metre (“the rhythm or measure”).
- countableobsoleteuncountableA poem.
A meter of […]berses in the Utopian tongue
1551, Thomas More, “(please specify the Internet Archive page)”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and Pleasaunt Worke of the Best State of a Publyque Weale, and of the Newe Yle Called Utopia: […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for] Abraham Vele, […], →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
noun(prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
meter · noun, verb
- Old Englishmetend“one who measures or metes”
- Middle Englishmetere“one who measures, measurer”
- Englishmeter
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →meter · noun
- Ancient Greekμέτρον
- Latinmetrum
- Frenchmètre
- Englishmeter
Borrowed from French mètre, itself borrowed from Latin metrum, borrowed from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron).
More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →meter · noun
- Ancient Greekμέτρον
- Latinmetrum
- Old Frenchmetre
- Old Englishmeter
- Middle Englishmeter
- Englishmeter
From Middle English meter, metre, from Old English meter and Old French metre; both from Latin metrum, from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μέτρον
- μέτρον (métron)rhythm of poetry
Arabic مِقْيَاس, وَزْن
- مِقْيَاس (miqyās)measuring instrument
- وَزْن (wazn)rhythm of poetry
- بَحْر (baḥr)rhythm of poetry
Basque kontagailu
- kontagailumeasuring instrument
Bulgarian измери́телен у́ред, броя́ч
- измери́телен у́ред (izmerítelen úred)measuring instrument
- броя́ч (brojáč)measuring instrument
- стих (stih)increment of music
- ри́тъм (rítăm)rhythm of poetry
Catalan comptador
- comptadormeasuring instrument
Chinese Mandarin 計量表 /计量表, 节拍
- 計量表 /计量表 (jìliángbiǎo)measuring instrument
- 节拍 (jié pāi)increment of music
Czech parkovací hodiny, metr
- parkovací hodinyshort form of parking meter
- metrmeasuring instrument
- měřičmeasuring instrument
Danish måler
- målermeasuring instrument
Dutch meter, teller
- metershort form of parking meter
- tellershort form of parking meter
- metermeasuring instrument
- tellermeasuring instrument
- versmaatrhythm of poetry
- metrumrhythm of poetry
Esperanto mezurilo, komptilo
- mezurilomeasuring instrument
- komptilomeasuring instrument
Estonian mõõtja
- mõõtjameasuring instrument
Finnish mittari, mittari
- mittarishort form of parking meter
- mittarimeasuring instrument
- mittameasuring instrument
- mittatikkumeasuring instrument
- tahtilajiincrement of music
- runomittarhythm of poetry
French mètre, compteur
- mètremeasuring instrument
- compteurmeasuring instrument
German Messgerät, Metrum
- Messgerätmeasuring instrument
- Metrumincrement of music
- Versmaßrhythm of poetry
- Metrumrhythm of poetry
- Silbenmaßrhythm of poetry
Greek μέτρο, ρολόι
- μέτρο (métro)measuring instrument
- ρολόι (rolói)measuring instrument
- μέτρο (métro)increment of music
- μέτρο (métro)rhythm of poetry
Hebrew מֶטֶר, מִדָּה
- מֶטֶר (méter)measuring instrument
- מִדָּה (midá)measuring instrument
Hungarian parkolóóra, mérőóra
- parkolóórashort form of parking meter
- mérőórameasuring instrument
- fogyasztásmérő (óra)measuring instrument
- versmértékrhythm of poetry
Indonesian meteran, penghitung
- meteranmeasuring instrument
- penghitungmeasuring instrument
Irish méadar, méadar
- méadarmeasuring instrument
- méadarincrement of music
- aisterhythm of poetry
- meadarachtrhythm of poetry
Italian metro, contatore
- metromeasuring instrument
- contatoremeasuring instrument
Japanese メーター, 計量器
- メーター (mētā)measuring instrument
- 計量器 (keiryōki)measuring instrument
- 拍子 (hyōshi)increment of music
- 韻律 (inritsu)rhythm of poetry
Korean 계량기
- 계량기 (gyeryanggi)measuring instrument
Latin metrum
- metrumrhythm of poetry
Latvian mērītājs
- mērītājsmeasuring instrument
Lithuanian metras, matuoklis
- metrasmeasuring instrument
- matuoklismeasuring instrument
Malay meter
- metermeasuring instrument
Māori ine
- inemeasuring instrument
Norwegian Bokmål måler, takt
- målermeasuring instrument
- taktincrement of music
Persian اندازهگیر, سنجه
- اندازهگیر (andâze-gir)measuring instrument
- سنجه (sanje)measuring instrument
- وزن (vazn)rhythm of poetry
- بحر (bahr)rhythm of poetry
Polish miernik, metrum
- miernikmeasuring instrument
- metrumincrement of music
- metrumrhythm of poetry
- metrrhythm of poetry
- miararhythm of poetry
Portuguese contador
- contadormeasuring instrument
Romanian metru, contor
- metrumeasuring instrument
- contormeasuring instrument
- metruincrement of music
- ritmincrement of music
Russian счётчик, измери́тель
- счётчик (sčótčik)measuring instrument
- измери́тель (izmerítelʹ)measuring instrument
- разме́р (razmér)rhythm of poetry
- ритм (ritm)rhythm of poetry
Scottish Gaelic inneal-tomhais
- inneal-tomhaismeasuring instrument
Slovak merač
- meračmeasuring instrument
Spanish medidor, contador
- medidormeasuring instrument
- contadormeasuring instrument
- metromeasuring instrument
- métricarhythm of poetry
Swedish mätare, mätare
- mätareshort form of parking meter
- mätaremeasuring instrument
- -metermeasuring instrument
- taktincrement of music
- taktartincrement of music
- versmåttrhythm of poetry
Thai มิเตอร์
- มิเตอร์ (mí-dtə̂ə)measuring instrument
Turkish metre
- metremeasuring instrument
Ukrainian лічи́льник, вимі́рник
- лічи́льник (ličýlʹnyk)measuring instrument
- вимі́рник (vymírnyk)measuring instrument
- вимі́рювач (vymírjuvač)measuring instrument
Vietnamese cái đo, người đo
- cái đomeasuring instrument
- người đomeasuring instrument
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with meter
Anagrams
Cite this entry
meter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meter
“meter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meter. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meter,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meter.
Source: meter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.