me|ter

me|ter¹ «MEE tuhr», noun.

1. the basic measure of length in the metric system, approximately equal to 39.37 inches. It was intended to be, and very nearly is, equal to one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to either pole measured on a meridian, but actually is equal to 1,650,-763.73 wave lengths of the orange-red light from the isotope krypton 86. This standard was adopted in 1960. Abbr: m.

2. a) any kind of poetic rhythm; the arrangement of beats or accents in a line of poetry: »

The meter of “Jack and Jill went up the hill” is not the meter of “One, two, buckle my shoe.”

b) a specific kind of rhythm in verse, depending on the kind and number of feet of which the verse consists: »

iambic meter, dactylic meter.

c) (in English hymns) the rhythmical pattern of a stanza or strophe, determined by the kind and number of lines: »

short meter, long meter, common meter.

3. the arrangement of beats in music as divided into parts or measures of a uniform length of time; musical rhythm: »

Three-fourths meter is waltz time.

Also, especially British and Canadian, metre.

╂[(definition 1) < French mètre, learned borrowing from Latin metrum measure < Greek métron measure; (definitions 2,3) < Old French metre, learned borrowing from Latin metrum measure]

me|ter² «MEE tuhr», noun, verb.

–n.

1. a device for measuring.

2. a device for measuring and recording the amount of something used, such as gas, water, or electricity.

3. a person who measures, especially one whose duty or office is to see that commodities are of the proper measure.

–v.t., v.i.

to measure or record with a meter.

╂[< met(e)¹ + -er¹; probably influenced by -meter]

Usage meter, metre. Meter is the preferred spelling of this word in both U.S. and British use.

-meter,

combining form.

1. a device for measuring _____: »

Speedometer = a device for measuring speed.

2. meter (39.37 inches): »

Kilometer = one thousand meters. Millimeter = one thousandth of a meter.

3. having _____ metrical feet: »

Tetrameter = having four metrical feet.

╂[< New Latin -metrum < Greek métron a measure]