me·ter
1 (mḗtər)
[Middle English, from Old English meter, and from Old French metre, both from Latin metrum, from Greek metron, measure, poetic meter.]
noun
- The measured arrangement of words in poetry, as by accentual rhythm, syllabic quantity, or the number of syllables in a line.
- A particular arrangement of words in poetry, such as iambic pentameter, determined by the kind and number of metrical units in a line.
- The rhythmic pattern of a stanza, determined by the kind and number of lines.
- Music
- Division into measures or bars.
- A specific rhythm determined by the number of beats and the time value assigned to each note in a measure.
me·ter
2 (mḗtər)
[French mètre, from Greek metron, measure.]
noun
- 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.
me·ter
3 (mḗtər)
[From –meter.]
noun
- 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.
- A postage meter.
- A parking meter.
transitive verb: -tered, -ter·ing, -ters.
- To measure with a meter: meter a flow of water.
- To supply in a measured or regulated amount: metered the allotted gasoline to each vehicle.
- To imprint with postage or other revenue stamps by means of a postage meter or similar device: metering bulk mail.
- To provide with a parking meter or parking meters: meter parking spaces.
