HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.

Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.

guide to the dictionary

me·ter¹

(mētər)

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.]

me·ter²

(mētər)

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.]

me·ter³

(mētər)

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.]

-meter

suff.

Measuring device: anemometer.

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

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.

American Heritage Dictionary Products

HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

THE USAGE PANEL

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG

INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

American Heritage Dictionary Products