メーターの定義と意味 - メリアム・ウェブスター

METER Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Est. 1828 Dictionary Definition noun (1) noun (2) noun (3) noun (4) verb noun combining form noun 6 noun (1) noun (2) noun (3) noun (4) verb noun combining form Did you know? Synonyms Example Sentences Word History Phrases Containing Rhymes Entries Near Related Articles Cite this Entry Citation Kids Definition Kids Medical Definition Medical More from M-W Show more Show more Citation Kids Medical More from M-W Save Word To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In meter 1 of 6 noun (1) me·​ter ˈmē-tər Synonyms of meter Simple Definition A Simple Definition is available from our Learner's Dictionary to help you understand the meaning faster. 1 a : systematically arranged and measured rhythm (see rhythm sense 1 ) in verse: (1) : rhythm that continuously repeats a single basic pattern iambic meter (2) : rhythm characterized by regular recurrence of a systematic arrangement of basic patterns in larger figures ballad meter b : a measure or unit of metrical verse — usually used in combination penta meter compare foot sense 4 c : a fixed metrical pattern : verse form 2 : the basic recurrent rhythmical pattern of note values, accents, and beats per measure in music meter 2 of 6 noun (2) met·​er ˈmē-tər : one that measures especially : an official measurer of commodities meter 3 of 6 noun (3) me·​ter ˈmē-tər : the base unit of length in the International System of Units that is equal to the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second or to about 39.37 inches see Metric System Table meter 4 of 6 noun (4) me·​ter ˈmē-tər 1 : an instrument for measuring and sometimes recording the time or amount of something a parking meter a gas meter 2 : postage meter also : a marking printed by a postage meter meter 5 of 6 verb me·​ter ˈmē-tər metered ; metering ; meters transitive verb 1 : to measure by means of a meter 2 : to supply in a measured or regulated amount 3 : to print postal indicia on by means of a postage meter -meter 6 of 6 noun combining form : instrument or means for measuring baro meter Did you know? Meter is a metric measurement slightly longer than a yard; thus, a 100-meter dash might take you a second longer than a 100-yard dash. But the word has a different sense in music, where people aren't separated by whether they use the metric system. For a musician, the meter is the regular background rhythm, expressed by the "time signature" written at the beginning of a piece or section: 2/2, 2/4, 3/8, 4/4, 6/8, etc. Within a meter, you can create rhythms that range from the simple to the complex. So, for example, "America the Beautiful" is in 4/4 meter (or "4/4 time"), but so are most of the rhythmically complex songs written by Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach, or Stevie Wonder. In ordinary conversation, though, most people use "rhythm" to include meter and everything that's built on top of it. In poetry, meter has much the same meaning; however, poetic meters aren't named with numbers but instead with traditional Greek and Latin terms such as iambic and dactylic . Synonyms of meter Relevance Noun (1) rhythm cadence See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus Examples of meter in a Sentence Noun (1) the poem's heavy meter is meant to reinforce the atmosphere of gloom Recent Examples on the Web Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback . Noun She was found unresponsive in the ocean about 100 meters from shore before she was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news , 3 May 2026 Its tallest skyscrapers sit meters away from the sea, and a system of elevated moving walkways ferries pedestrians uphill and downhill, between office towers. — Pauline J. Yao, Artforum , 2 May 2026 Verb The entire rhythm of the enterprise was metered by how fast people could think, read and decide. — MSNBC Newsweek , 30 Mar. 2026 By 1950 and the advent of nuclear power, some believed that electricity would be too cheap to meter . — Chicago Tribune , 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for meter Word History Etymology Noun (1) Middle English metre, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin metrum, borrowed from Greek métron "measure, space measured, (in plural) proportions, poetic meter," perhaps going back to Indo-European *mh 1- tro-, zero-grade derivative of a verbal base *meh 1 - "measure" — more at measure entry 1 Note: The word meter in the sense "poetic meter" is attested twice in Old English as a borrowing from Latin, but there is no continuity between this use and occurrence in later Middle English. Noun (2) Middle English, from meten "to mete entry 1 " + -er -er entry 2 Noun (3) borrowed from French mètre, borrowed from Greek métron "measure" — more at meter entry 1 Noun (4) probably originally, as short for gas-meter "instrument for measuring the quantity of gas passing through an outlet," to be identified with meter entry 2 ; later uses appear to be extracted from compounds with -meter , generalized to refer to any measuring device Verb derivative of meter entry 4 Noun combining form borrowed from French & New Latin; French -mètre, borrowed from New Latin -meter, borrowed from Greek -metron (as in hodómetron "instrument for measuring distance, odometer "), from métron "measure, instrument for measuring" — more at meter entry 1 Note: The earliest of such New Latin compounds is perhaps altimeter altimeter . First Known Use Noun (1) before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun (2) 14th century, in the meaning defined above Noun (3) 1797, in the meaning defined above Noun (4) 1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb 1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Time Traveler The first known use of meter was before the 12th century See more words from the same century Phrases Containing meter exposure meter feed the meter kilogram - meter light meter long meter meter - kilogram - second meter maid parking meter peak flow meter pH meter postage meter water meter Rhymes for meter beater butter cheater clutter cutter dieter eater flutter gutter heater liter litre See All Rhymes for meter Browse Nearby Words metepisternum meter -meter See all Nearby Words Articles Related to meter 7 Words Based on Units of Measure Words from the language of precision. Poetic Forms: 13 Ways of Looking at a... Sestina, anyone? Obscure Units of Measurement Quiz Do you know these uncommon units of measurement? Learning them could enrich your life immeasurably. Cite this Entry Style MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster “Meter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meter. Accessed 4 May. 2026. Copy Citation Kids Definition meter 1 of 3 noun me·​ter ˈmēt-ər 1 : a systematic rhythm in poetry that is usually repeated 2 : the repeated pattern of musical beats in a measure meter 2 of 3 noun : the basic unit of length of the metric system equal to about 39.37 inches see metric system meter 3 of 3 noun : an instrument for measuring and sometimes recording the amount of something a gas meter Medical Definition meter 1 of 2 noun me·​ter variants or chiefly British metre ˈmēt-ər : the base unit of length in the International System of Units that is equal to the distance traveled in a vacuum by light in 1/299,792,458 second or to about 39.37 inches meter 2 of 2 noun : an instrument for measuring and sometimes recording the time or amount of something More from Merriam-Webster on meter Nglish: Translation of meter for Spanish Speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about meter Last Updated: 4 May 2026 - Updated example sentences Love words? Need even more definitions? 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