meter

Meaning

Noun

1. A device that measures things.
2. A device that measures things.
3. Alternative form of metre
4. (obsolete) A poem.
5. A line above or below a hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen it.

Verb

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).

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmitəɹ/

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.