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meter

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: metër, Meter, -meter, and méter

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

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

enPR: mē′tər, Rhymes: -iːtə(ɹ)

enPR: mĕt′ər, Rhymes: -ɛtə(ɹ)

restoration of original French 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.
    • 2024 September 27, Katie Hunt, “Scientists discover hidden ancient forest on treeless island”, in CNN‎:
      No trees have grown on the windswept Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean for tens of thousands of years — just shrubs and other low-lying vegetation. That’s why a recent arboreal discovery nearly 20 feet (6 meters) beneath the ground caught researchers’ attention.
  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

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Aragonese

Etymology

From Latin mittere.

Pronunciation

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

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

More information common gender, singular ...

Derived terms

References

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From meten (“to measure”) +‎ -er. Compare German Messer m. In some compounds conflated with Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron), which is unrelated or, according to one theory, distantly related with the Dutch verb.

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, from Latin metrum, from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron). Doublet of metrum.

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.
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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/ [meˈt̪eɾ]
  • 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

    Conjugation of meter
More information Singular, Plural ...
    Reintegrated conjugation of meter (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)
More information Singular, Plural ...

1Less recommended.

References

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Indonesian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈmɛ.tər]
  • Hyphenation: mè‧têr

Etymology 1

Doublet of metrum.

Noun

mètêr (plural meter-meter)

  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
  • meter arus
  • meter dinamik
  • meter geopotensial
  • meter kecepatan
  • meter konduktivitas
  • meter kubik
  • meter lintasan
  • meter persegi
  • meter salinitas

Etymology 2

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

Noun

mètêr (plural meter-meter)

  1. godmother

Further reading

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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.
Conjugation of meter (third conjugation)
More information infinitive, auxiliary verb ...
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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

  • IPA(key): [mi.tə(r)]
  • Rhymes: -tər, -ər
  • Hyphenation: me‧ter

Noun

meter (Jawi spelling ميتر, plural meter-meter)

  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 meter ― five metres
    2. A device that is used to measure and record something (distance, quantity of something used, etc.).
      meter air ― water meter

Further reading

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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

  • metter (pre-standardization spelling)

Etymology

Inherited 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)

  2. (transitive) to put in; to insert into
    Meti o livro na mochila e fui embora. ― I put my book in my backpack and left.
  4. (transitive) to put (to place something sowhere)
  5. (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)
  6. (reflexive) to get into (to become involved in) [with em ‘something’]
  7. (transitive, vulgar) to fuck, screw

Usage notes

In Brazilian Portuguese, when used in senses 1 and 2, this word is seen as informal and usually as having a more emphatic, slapdash or aggressive connotation than its synonyms colocar and pôr. Compare the sentences Coloquei o livro na mochila and Meti o livro na mochila, both translating to I put the book in the backpack. While the first one merely describes the action, the second one is usually interpreted as a mildly aggressive or hasty action. See also botar, which is also informal.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of meter (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)
More information Singular, Plural ...

Derived terms

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, 2003–2025

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), 2014–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish meter, from Latin mittō (“to send”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂- (“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

  • IPA(key): /meˈteɾ/ [meˈt̪eɾ]
  • Audio (Colombia):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɾ
  • Syllabification: me‧ter

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 gol ― to 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)
  8. (reflexive) to get into, to get in
    meterse en problemas ― to get in trouble.
    Está tratando de meterse en tu cabeza.
    He's trying to get into your head.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of meter (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)
More information infinitive, gerund ...

1Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
2Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of meter

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

More information singular, plural ...
    Conjugation of meterse (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)
More information infinitive, gerund ...

1Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
2Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

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

More information nominative, genitive ...
More information nominative, genitive ...

Tatar

Etymology

Borrowed from English meter.

Noun

meter

  1. meter

Declension

    declension of meter
More information Nominative, Genitive ...

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