# meter
## 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

* (General American) IPA: /ˈmitəɹ/, [ˈmiɾɚ]
** Audio (US):(file)
* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈmiːtə/
* Rhymes: -iːtə(ɹ)

### Noun

meter (countable and uncountable, plural meters)
* A device that measures things.
** A parking meter or similar device for collecting payment.
    gas meter
** (dated) One who metes or measures.
    a labouring coal-meter
* (American spelling) Alternative form of metre
* (obsolete) A poem.
** 1551, Thomas More, “(please specify the Internet Archive page)”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and Pleasaunt Worke of the Best State of a Publyque Weale, and of the Newe Yle Called Utopia: […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for] Abraham Vele, […], →OCLC:A meter of […] berses in the Utopian tongue
* (American spelling) A line above or below a hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen it.

#### Derived terms

* 1,000 meter
* 1000-meter
* 1000 meter
* 100 meter dash
* 100-meter dash
* altimeter
* ammeter
* am-meter
* Ampère meter
* asymmetrical meter
* asymmetric meter
* atto-meter
* attometer
* centimeter
* clap-o-meter
* coal-meter
* common meter
* compound meter
* cool-o-meter
* cover meter
* cringe-o-meter
* cubic meter
* decimeter
* digital meter
* drift meter
* dry meter
* duple meter
* electricity meter
* electric meter
* E-meter
* energy meter
* entomometer
* exameter
* exposure meter
* feed the meter
* femtometer
* flowmeter
* gas meter
* gas meter bandit
* gigameter
* gravity meter
* heroic meter
* kilogram-meter
* kilometer
* light meter
* linear meter
* long meter
* megameter
* meter attendant
* meter-kilogramme-second
* meter-kilogram-second
* meter maid
* meter stamp
* meter stick
* meter-tonne-second
* meter-ton-second
* metric
* metrical
* micrometer
* millimeter
* multimeter
* nanometer
* newton meter
* nuclear hydrogen detection meter
* odometer
* parking meter
* peak flow meter
* pedometer
* pentameter
* pH meter
* picometer
* pin the meter
* Q meter
* quintuple meter
* running meter
* short meter
* simple meter
* sloka meter
* smart meter
* smell-o-meter
* S meter
* spectropolarimeter
* speedometer
* square meter
* survey meter
* tachymeter
* terameter
* tetrameter
* time-of-use meter
* torque meter
* trip meter
* voltmeter
* VU meter
* water meter
* watt-hour meter
* wet meter
* yoctometer
* yottameter
* zeptometer
* zettameter

#### Translations
### Verb

meter (third-person singular simple present meters, present participle metering, simple past and past participle metered)
* To measure with a metering device.
* To imprint a postage mark with a postage meter.
* 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

* -metre, -treme, Emert, metre, remet, retem

## Aragonese
### Etymology

From Latin mittere.

### Pronunciation

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

### Verb

meter
* to put

#### Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

## Danish
### Noun

meter c (singular definite meteren, plural indefinite meter)
* a metre, or meter (US) (SI unit of measurement)

#### Derived terms

* centimeter
* kilometer
* kvadratmeter
* millimeter
* sekundmeter

### References

* “meter” in Den Danske Ordbog

## Dutch
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmeːtər/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: me‧ter
* Rhymes: -eːtər

### Etymology 1

From meten +‎ -er.

#### Noun

meter m (plural meters, diminutive metertje n)
* 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?
* measurer (person who measures something)

##### Derived terms

* ampèremeter
* energiemeter
* krachtmeter
* landmeter
* snelheidsmeter
* spanningsmeter
* stroommeter
* thermometer
* voltmeter

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from French mètre.

#### Noun

meter m (plural meters, diminutive metertje n)
* 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

* centimeter
* decameter
* decimeter
* hectometer
* kilometer
* kubieke meter
* micrometer
* millimeter
* myriameter
* nanometer
* newtonmeter
* vierkante meter
* voor geen meter
* zestienmetergebied

##### 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)
* 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: /meˈteɾ/ [meˈt̪eɾ]
* Rhymes: -eɾ
* Hyphenation: me‧ter

### Verb

meter (first-person singular present meto, first-person singular preterite metín, past participle metido)
* (transitive) to put
* (transitive) to insert
* (transitive) to bring in
* (pronominal) to meddle, interfere
* (transitive) to deliver
    Meteulle unha patada. ― He delivered him a kick.

#### Conjugation

$^1$Less recommended.

### References

* Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “meter”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “meter”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “meter”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “meter”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

## Indonesian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈmɛ.tər]
* Hyphenation: mè‧têr

### Etymology 1

* From Dutch meter, meten, from Middle Dutch mēten, from Old Dutch metan, from Proto-Germanic *metaną, from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”).
* From Dutch meter, from French mètre, from Latin metrum, from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron, “measure”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- (“to measure”).
Doublet of metrum.

#### Noun

mètêr (plural meter-meter)
* meter, a device that measures things
* 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

* meteran
* meter arus
* meter dinamik
* meter geopotensial
* meter kecepatan
* meter konduktivitas
* meter kubik
* meter lintasan
* meter persegi
* meter salinitas

##### Related terms

* metrum

### Etymology 2

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

#### Noun

mètêr (plural meter-meter)
* godmother

### Further reading

* “meter” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Kholosi
### Etymology

From Sanskrit मूत्र (mūtrá).

### Noun

meter ?
* 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
* 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
* to put

## Latin
### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈmeː.ter/, [ˈmeːt̪ɛr]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈme.ter/, [ˈmɛːt̪er]

### Verb

mēter
* 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: [mi.tə(r)]
* Rhymes: -tər, -ər
* Hyphenation: me‧ter

### Noun

meter (Jawi spelling ميتر, plural meter-meter, informal 1st possessive meterku, 2nd possessive metermu, 3rd possessive meternya)
* A meter:
** The basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI: Système International d'Unités); a metre or meter.
    lima meter ― five metres
** A device that is used to measure and record something (distance, quantity of something used, etc.).
    meter air ― water meter

### Further reading

* “meter” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

## Mòcheno
### Etymology

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

### Noun

meter m (plural meter)
* meter (unit of measure)

### References

* “meter” in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Noun

meter m (definite singular meteren, indefinite plural meter, definite plural meterne)
* a metre, or meter (US) (SI unit of length)

#### Derived terms

* centimeter
* høydemeter
* kilometer
* kubikkmeter
* kvadratmeter
* meterspor
* metervis
* millimeter
* parameter

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Noun

meter m (definite singular meteren, indefinite plural meter, definite plural meterane or metrane)
* a metre, or meter (US) (SI unit of length)

#### Derived terms

* centimeter
* kilometer
* kubikkmeter
* kvadratmeter
* meterspor
* metervis
* millimeter
* parameter

## Portuguese
### Alternative forms

* metter (pre-standardization spelling)

### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /meˈte(ʁ)/ [meˈte(h)]
* (Brazil) IPA: /meˈte(ʁ)/ [meˈte(h)]
** (São Paulo) IPA: /meˈte(ɾ)/
** (Rio de Janeiro) IPA: /meˈte(ʁ)/ [meˈte(χ)]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /meˈte(ɻ)/
* (Portugal) IPA: /mɨˈteɾ/
* (Portugal) IPA: /mɨˈteɾ/
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /mɨˈte.ɾi/
* Hyphenation: me‧ter
* Audio (Northern Portugal):(file)

### Verb

meter (first-person singular present meto, first-person singular preterite meti, past participle metido)
* (transitive) to put
* (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.
* (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)
* (reflexive) to get into (to become involved in) [with em ‘something’]
* (transitive, vulgar) to fuck, screw

#### Related terms

* cometer
* prometer

### Further reading

* “meter”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
* “meter” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
* “meter”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* “meter”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
* “meter”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Slovak
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈmecer]

### Noun

meter m inan
* 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
* 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 *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

* IPA: /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)
* to put in, insert
    Synonym: poner
* (sports) to score
    meter un gol ― to score a goal
* to make (noise)
* to cram, to stuff, to stick, to shove
* (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!
* (reflexive) to get into (a small space)
* (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

$^1$Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language. $^2$Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.
These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.
$^1$Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language. $^2$Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

#### Derived terms

* a todo meter
* mete dos y saca cinco
* metedura
* meter el palo en candela
* meter la cuchara
* meter la nariz
* meter la pata
* meterle cabeza
* meterse de cabeza
* meterse en honduras
* metérsela
* métetelo por el culo
* metimiento
* metisaca
* no me meto en nada

#### Related terms

* admitir
* cometer
* emitir
* metete
* metiche
* metido
* misión
* omitir
* permitir
* prometer

### Further reading

* “meter”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
* “meter”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010
* DiPerú | Diccionario de peruanismos en línea

## Swedish
### Etymology

Borrowed from English meter.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmeːtɛr/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

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

#### Declension
## Tatar
### Etymology

Borrowed from English meter.

### Noun

meter
* meter