VocabauraVOCABAURA

meter

noun · verb

Simple meaning

A device that measures things.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

meeter

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈmitɚ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. A device that measures things.

  2. A parking meter or similar device for collecting payment.

  3. US standard spelling of metre ("the rhythm or measure in language").

  4. American spelling

    A line above or below a hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen it.

verb

  1. To regulate the flow of or to deliver in regulated amounts (usually of fluids but sometimes of other things such as anticipation or breath).

  2. To measure with a metering device.

  3. Stamp with a meter indicating the postage

  4. To imprint a postage mark with a postage meter.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A device that measures things.

Used this way, meter is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Matter-of-fact
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use meter

  • “We need to install a new electric meter for the house.”noun

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “meter”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Line

water meter

Parking

parking meter

Rhythm

square meter

Regulate

flow metercurrent meter

Other combinations

cubic metermeter readingexposure meter

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • measure

    A unit of measurement.

  • time

    A measurement of a quantity of time.

  • cadence

    The measure or beat of movement.

  • metre

    The rhythm or measure in language (especially verse) and musical composition.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • meter maidnounCompound term

    Policewoman who is assigned to write parking tickets.

  • meter readingnounCompound term

    A datum about some physical state that is presented to a user by a meter or similar instrument.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: to regulate the flow of

metre

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “meter” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.