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View synonyms for meter
meter
1[ mee-ter ]
noun
- the fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equivalent to 39.37 U.S. inches, originally intended to be, and being very nearly, equal to one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the pole measured on a meridian: defined from 1889 to 1960 as the distance between two lines on a platinum-iridium bar (the “International Prototype Meter”) preserved at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures near Paris; from 1960 to 1983 defined as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of the orange-red radiation of krypton 86 under specified conditions; and now defined as 1/299,792,458 of the distance light travels in a vacuum in one second. : m
meter
2[ mee-ter ]
noun
- Music.
- the rhythmic element as measured by division into parts of equal time value.
- the unit of measurement, in terms of number of beats, adopted for a given piece of music. Compare measure ( def 14 ).
- Prosody.
- poetic measure; arrangement of words in regularly measured, patterned, or rhythmic lines or verses.
- a particular form of such arrangement, depending on either the kind or the number of feet constituting the verse or both rhythmic kind and number of feet (usually used in combination):
pentameter; dactylic meter; iambic trimeter.
meter
3[ mee-ter ]
noun
- an instrument for measuring, especially one that automatically measures and records the quantity of something, as of gas, water, miles, or time, when it is activated.
verb (used with object)
, me·tered, me·ter·ing.
- to measure by means of a meter.
- to process (mail) by means of a postage meter.
-meter
4- a combining form meaning “measure,” used in the names of instruments measuring quantity, extent, degree, etc.:
altimeter; barometer.
meter
1/ ˈmiːtə /
meter
2/ ˈmiːtə /
noun
- the US spelling of metre 2
meter
3/ ˈmiːtə /
noun
- any device that measures and records the quantity of a substance, such as gas, that has passed through it during a specified period
- any device that measures and sometimes records an electrical or magnetic quantity, such as current, voltage, etc
- See parking meter
verb
- to measure (a rate of flow) with a meter
- to print with stamps by means of a postage meter
-meter
4combining form
- indicating an instrument for measuring
barometer
- prosody indicating a verse having a specified number of feet
pentameter
meter
/ mē′tər /
- The basic unit of length in the metric system, equal to 39.37 inches.
- See Table at measurement
meter
1- The highly organized rhythm characteristic of verse ; the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line. ( See iambic pentameter .)
meter
2- The basic unit of length in the metric system ; it was originally planned so that the circumference of the Earth would be measured at about forty million meters. A meter is 39.37 inches. Today, the meter is defined to be the distance light travels in 1 / 299,792,458 seconds.
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Other Words From
- un·metered adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of meter1
First recorded in 1790–1800; from French mètre, from Greek métron “measure”
Origin of meter2
First recorded before 900; Middle English metir, metur, Old English meter, from Latin metrum “poetic rhythm or meter, verse,” from Greek métron “measure”; replacing Middle English metre, from Middle French metre, from Latin as above
Origin of meter4
< New Latin -metrum < Greek métron measure
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Word History and Origins
Origin of meter1
C19: see mete 1
Origin of meter2
from Greek metron measure
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