meter

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word meter. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word meter, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say meter in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word meter you have here. The definition of the word meter will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofmeter, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: Meter, -meter, and méter

English

Alternative forms

  • metre (Commonwealth English for noun senses 2 and 3, rare for other senses)

Etymology

Senses 1.1, 2, and 3 were borrowed from French mètre and Latin metrum; see metre for more.

Sense 1.2 is a noun derived from mete, from Old English metan (to measure, mark off), possibly influencing the other meanings.

Pronunciation

Noun

meter (countable and uncountable, plural meters)

  1. A device that measures things.
    1. A parking meter or similar device for collecting payment.
      gas meter
    2. (dated) One who metes or measures.
      a labouring coal-meter
  2. (American spelling) Alternative form of metre
  3. (obsolete) A poem.
  4. (American spelling) A line above or below a hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen it.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

meter (third-person singular simple present meters, present participle metering, simple past and past participle metered)

  1. To measure with a metering device.
  2. To imprint a postage mark with a postage meter.
  3. To regulate the flow of or to deliver in regulated amounts (usually of fluids but sometimes of other things such as anticipation or breath).

Translations

Anagrams

Aragonese

Etymology

From Latin mittere.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /meˈte(ɾ)/
  • Rhymes: -e(ɾ)
  • Syllabification: me‧ter

Verb

meter

  1. to put

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Danish

Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da

Noun

meter c (singular definite meteren, plural indefinite meter)

  1. a metre, or meter (US) (SI unit of measurement)

Declension

Derived terms

References

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From meten +‎ -er.

Noun

meter m (plural meters, diminutive metertje n)

  1. meter (device that measures things or indicates a physical quantity)
    Ik heb een meter nodig om de stroom in dit circuit te meten.I need a meter to measure the current in this circuit.
    De meters in het laboratorium zijn zeer nauwkeurig.The meters in the laboratory are very precise.
    Kun je dat kleine metertje even doorgeven?Can you pass that small meter please?
  2. measurer (person who measures something)
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French mètre.

Noun

meter m (plural meters, diminutive metertje n)

  1. meter, metre (unit of distance)
    De kamer is vijf meters breed.The room is five meters wide.
    Ze liep een afstand van tien meters in de race.She ran a distance of ten metres in the race.
    Dit kleine metertje touw is alles wat ik over heb.This small metre of rope is all I have left.
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Afrikaans: meter
  • Aukan: meiti
  • Caribbean Javanese: mèter
  • Indonesian: meter
  • Papiamentu: meter

Etymology 3

From Middle Dutch meter, from metrijn, from Latin matrīna.

Noun

meter f (plural meters, diminutive metertje n, masculine peter)

  1. godmother
    Synonyms: peettante, petemoei
    Ze is de trotse meter van haar neefje.She is the proud godmother of her nephew.
    Mijn zus werd gevraagd om meter te zijn bij de doop.My sister was asked to be the godmother at the baptism.
    Elk kind in ons gezin heeft een meter en een peter.Every child in our family has a godmother and a godfather.

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese meter, from Latin mittō, mittēre (to send, put), probably from Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂- (to exchange, remove).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /meˈteɾ/
  • Rhymes: -eɾ
  • Hyphenation: me‧ter

Verb

meter (first-person singular present meto, first-person singular preterite metín, past participle metido)

  1. (transitive) to put
  2. (transitive) to insert
  3. (transitive) to bring in
  4. (pronominal) to meddle, interfere
  5. (transitive) to deliver
    Meteulle unha patada.He delivered him a kick.

Conjugation

References

Indonesian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
  • Hyphenation: mè‧têr

Etymology 1

Doublet of metrum.

Noun

mètêr

  1. meter, a device that measures things.
  2. meter, metre, the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).
    Sebatang pohon setinggi 5 meter akan digambar dengan skala 1:25.
    A 5-meter tall tree will be drawn on a scale of 1:25.
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Dutch meter, from Middle Dutch meter, from metrijn, from Latin matrīna.

Noun

mètêr

  1. godmother.

Further reading

Kholosi

Etymology

From Sanskrit मूत्र (mūtrá).

Noun

meter ?

  1. urine

References

  • Eric Anonby, Hassan Mohebi Bahmani (2014) “Shipwrecked and Landlocked: Kholosi, an Indo-Aryan Language in South-west Iran”, in Cahier de Studia Iranica xx, pages 13-36

Ladin

Etymology

From Latin mittere.

Verb

meter

  1. to put, place

Conjugation

  • Ladin conjugation varies from one region to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Ladino

Verb

meter

  1. to put

Latin

Pronunciation

Verb

mēter

  1. first-person singular present active subjunctive of mētor

Malay

Etymology

From English metre or meter, from French mètre, from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron, measure, rule, length, size, poetic metre).

Pronunciation

Noun

meter (Jawi spelling ميتر, plural meter-meter, informal 1st possessive meterku, 2nd possessive metermu, 3rd possessive meternya)

  1. A meter:
    1. The basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI: Système International d'Unités); a metre or meter.
      lima meterfive metres
    2. A device that is used to measure and record something (distance, quantity of something used, etc.).
      meter airwater meter

Further reading

Mòcheno

Etymology

From French mètre, from Latin metrum (a measure), from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron).

Noun

meter m (plural meter)

  1. meter (unit of measure)

References

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Noun

meter m (definite singular meteren, indefinite plural meter, definite plural meterne)

  1. a metre, or meter (US) (SI unit of length)

Derived terms

Norwegian Nynorsk

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

Noun

meter m (definite singular meteren, indefinite plural meter, definite plural meterane or metrane)

  1. a metre, or meter (US) (SI unit of length)

Derived terms

Portuguese

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese meter, from Latin mittere (to send, to put), probably from Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂- (to exchange, remove).

Pronunciation

 
 

Verb

meter (first-person singular present meto, first-person singular preterite meti, past participle metido)

  1. (transitive) to put
  2. (transitive) to insert
    • 1938, Graciliano Ramos, “Festa [Celebration]”, in Vidas Seccas [Barren Lives]‎, Rio de Janeiro: Livraria José Olympio Editora, page 108:
      Descalçou-se, metteu as meias no bolso, tirou o paletot, a gravata e o collarinho, roncou alliviado.
      He took off his shoes, shoved his socks in his pocket, shrugged off his overcoat, his tie and his collar, and snored relieved.
  3. (reflexive) to meddle, interfere
    • 2012, Luís Fernando Veríssimo, “Padre Alfredo”, in Diálogos Impossíveis, Rio de Janeiro: Editora Objetiva, →ISBN, page 27:
      — Já pensaram no que vem por aí? Uma vida inteira, juntos? As brigas, às vezes por mesquinharia? O ciuminho? Os sogros se metendo? As diferenças: filme de pancadaria ou filme romântico? Luz acesa para um ler quando o outro quer dormir? Um não podendo viver sem ar refrigerado, apesar da rinite do outro? Já pensaram?
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  4. (transitive, vulgar) to fuck, screw

Conjugation

Further reading

Slovak

Pronunciation

Noun

meter m inan

  1. meter, metre (unit of length)

Further reading

  • meter”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Slovene

Noun

meter m

  1. meter, metre (unit of length)

Further reading

  • meter”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2024

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish meter, from Latin mittō (to send), probably from Proto-Indo-European *mey-th₂- (to exchange, remove). Cognate with English mess (sense 2) and also mission, message. Compare also French mettre, Friulian meti, Portuguese meter, and Italian mettere. The semantic shift from "send" to "put" probably occurred in Vulgar Latin.

Pronunciation

Verb

meter (first-person singular present meto, first-person singular preterite metí, past participle metido)

  1. to put in, insert
    Synonym: poner
  2. (sports) to score
    meter un golto score a goal
  3. to make (noise)
  4. to cram, to stuff, to stick, to shove
  5. (reflexive) to meddle, interfere, to get into
    Synonyms: inmiscuirse, meter la nariz
    ¡No te metas en lo que no te importa!
    Don't get involved in other people's business!/ Don't meddle in others' affairs!
  6. (reflexive) to get into (a small space)
  7. (reflexive) to get into, to get in
    meterse en problemasto get in trouble.
    Está tratando de meterse en tu cabeza.
    He's trying to get into your head.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Further reading

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English meter.

Pronunciation

Noun

meter c

  1. a metre; the SI-unit
  2. (music) Rhythm or measure in verse
  3. a meter; a device that measures things.

Declension

Declension of meter
nominative genitive
singular indefinite meter meters
definite metern meterns
plural indefinite meter meters
definite meterna meternas

Tatar

Etymology

Borrowed from English meter.

Noun

meter

  1. meter

Declension