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me·ter 1 (mētər)
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n.
1.
a. The measured arrangement of words in poetry, as by accentual rhythm, syllabic quantity, or the number of syllables in a line.
b. A particular arrangement of words in poetry, such as iambic pentameter, determined by the kind and number of metrical units in a line.
c. The rhythmic pattern of a stanza, determined by the kind and number of lines.
2. Music
a. Division into measures or bars.
b. A specific rhythm determined by the number of beats and the time value assigned to each note in a measure.

[Middle English metre, from Old English meter and from Old French metre, both from Latin metrum, from Greek metron, measure, poetic meter; see mē-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
me·ter 2 (mētər)
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n. Abbr. m
The international standard unit of length, approximately equivalent to 39.37 inches. It was redefined in 1983 as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. See Table at measurement.

[French mètre, from Greek metron, measure; see mē-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
me·ter 3 (mētər)
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n.
1. Any of various devices designed to measure time, distance, speed, or intensity or indicate and record or regulate the amount or volume, as of the flow of a gas or an electric current.
2. A postage meter.
3. A parking meter.
tr.v. me·tered, me·ter·ing, me·ters
1. To measure with a meter: meter a flow of water.
2. To supply in a measured or regulated amount: metered the allotted gasoline to each vehicle.
3. To imprint with postage or other revenue stamps by means of a postage meter or similar device: metering bulk mail.
4. To provide with a parking meter or parking meters: meter parking spaces.

[From -METER.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
-meter
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suff.
Measuring device: anemometer.

[French -mètre, from Greek metron, measure; see mē-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.