A Meter Measures; a Metre Is a Length
Meter is a measuring device. In British English the spelling also distinguishes it from metre, the unit of length.
A meter is a device that measures something, such as a gas meter or a parking meter. British English uses the spelling to make a useful distinction that American English does not: *meter* is the measuring device, *metre* the unit of length and the rhythm of verse. American English spells all three *meter*, which is why context does the work there. The suffix *-meter* forms instrument names: thermometer, barometer, speedometer.
- A measuring device. *A gas meter.*
- Metre — the unit, in British English. *Two metres.*
- Poetic rhythm. *Iambic metre.*
- -meter — the instrument suffix. *A thermometer.*
- Greek — *metron*, a measure. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | meter | A water meter. |
| Plural | meters | Two meters. |
| UK unit | metre | One metre. |
| Verb | meter | Meter the supply. |
| Greek | metron | Measure. |
- Read the electricity meter.Device.
- The room is four metres wide.British unit.
- Americans spell both meter.Usage.
The -meter instruments
- Thermometer — measures heat
- Barometer — measures pressure
- Speedometer — measures speed
- Odometer — measures distance travelled
- All from Greek *metron*, a measure
Greek *metron*, a measure, through Latin and French. The instrument sense developed from compounds such as *thermometer*.
Is it meter or metre?
In British English, meter is the device and metre the unit. American English uses meter for both.
What is metre in poetry?
The rhythmic pattern of a line, measured in units called feet, such as iambic pentameter.