Meter | Etymology, Origin And Meaning Of Meter By Etymonline

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Origin and history of meter

meter(n.1)

also metre, "poetic measure, metrical scheme, arrangement of language in a series of rhythmic movements," Old English meter "meter, versification," from Latin mētrum, from Greek metron "meter, a verse; that by which anything is measured; measure, length, size, limit, proportion" (from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure").

The word was possibly reborrowed early 14c. (after a 300-year gap in recorded use), from Old French metre, with a specific sense of "metrical scheme in verse," from Latin mētrum.

The use as a word-forming element in pentameter, tetrameter, etc., was objected to by those who saw how it misapplied the classical term.

Of late years, in modern English prosody-writing, though fortunately not universally, a most objectionable habit has grown up of calling the heroic line a "pentameter," the octosyllabic iambic a "tetrameter." This is grossly unscholarly, and should never be imitated, for the proper meaning of the terms would be ten feet in the one case, eight in the other. [George Saintsbury, "Historical Manual of English Prosody," 1911]

meter(n.2)

also metre, "fundamental unit of length of the metric system," originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the length of a quadrant of the meridian, 1797, from French mètre (18c.), from Greek metron "measure," from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure." Developed by French Academy of Sciences for system of weights and measures based on a decimal system originated 1670 by French clergyman Gabriel Mouton.

also from 1797

meter(n.3)

"device or instrument for measuring," abstracted 1832 from gasometer (in English from 1790), etc., from French -mètre, used in combinations, from Latin metrum "measure" or cognate Greek metron "measure" (from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure").

English already had meter "person who measures, official who checks that measured quantities are correct" (late 14c., c. 1300 as a surname, agent noun from unrelated mete (v.)), which might have influenced this word. As short for parking meter from 1960. Meter maid "woman police official who patrols metered parking sites" is recorded by 1957, meter reader as a job is by 1872 (originally in reference to gas meters).

also from 1832

meter(v.)

"to measure by means of a meter," 1864 (in reference to gas), from meter (n.3). Meaning "install parking meters" is from 1957. In 15c.-16c. it meant "to compose verse, write in metrical verse" (from meter (n.1)), also "to measure." Related: Metered; metering.

also from 1864

Entries linking to meter

mete(v.)

"to allot," Old English metan (West Saxon mæton), "to measure, ascertain the dimension or quantity of; measure out; compare; estimate the greatness of value of" (class V strong verb; past tense mæt, past participle meten), from Proto-Germanic *metana "to measure" (source also of Old Saxon metan, Old Frisian, Old Norse meta, Dutch meten, Old High German mezzan, German messen, Gothic mitan "to measure"), from PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures." Meaning "distribute or apportion by measure" is from c. 1300 and is the surviving sense, used now exclusively with out. Related: Meted; meting.

pentameter(adj.)

"consisting of five metrical feet," 1540s, from French pentametre, from Latin pentameter, from Greek pentametros (adj.) "having five measures," from pente "five" (see five) + metron "measure" (see meter (n.1)).

As a noun from 1580s, "a verse line of five feet;" in ancient prosody "a dactylic dipenthemimeres or combination of two catalectic dactylic tripodies" [Century Dictionary]. Saintsbury, the great early 20c. prosodist, objects to the "verse line" sense as a misuse of meter and prefers decasyllable.

• tetrameter
• centimeter
• decimeter
• hexameter
• hydrometer
• kilometer
• matriculate
• metre
• metric
• metrology
• millimeter
• nanometer
• taxi
• voltmeter
• *me-
• See All Related Words (17)

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matriculate1570s, "insert (a name) in a register or official list," especially "to admit (a student) to a college by enrolling his name on the register," from Late Latin matriculatus, past participle of matriculare "to register," from Latin mātricula "public register," diminutive of mātrix metric"pertaining to the system of weights and measures based on the meter," 1855, from French métrique, from mèter (see meter (n.2)). In this sense, metrical is attested from 1797. Metric system is attested by 1855...."science of versification," 1760, from Latinized form of Greek he mM13th letter of the English alphabet, from Greek mu, from Semitic mem. It represents a very stable and unchanging sound in Indo-European, described by Johnson as "a kind of humming inward." The Roman symbol for 1,000; sometimes used in this sense in English 15c.-16c.; but in late ithyphallic1795, in reference to a type of meter used in ancient Greek poetry (earlier as a noun, "poem in ithyphallic meter," 1610s...Credited to Archilochus, the meter was that of the Bacchic hymns, which were sung in the rites during which such phalluses...scanlate 14c., scannen, "to mark off verse in metric feet, analyze verse according to its meter," from Late Latin scandere "to...Intransitive meaning "follow or agree with the rules of meter" is by 1857....elegiacRelated: Elegiacal (1540s, of meter); elegiacally....Sapphicc. 1500, "of or pertaining to Sappho or her poems," especially in reference to her characteristic meter, from French saphique...cadencelate 14c., "flow of rhythm in prose or verse," from French cadence, from Old Italian cadenza "conclusion of a movement in music," literally "a falling," from Vulgar Latin *cadentia, from neuter plural of Latin cadens, present participle of cadere "to fall" (from PIE root *kad- "titemlate 14c., originally an adverb, "moreover, in addition," from Latin item (adv.) "likewise, just so, moreover," probably from ita "thus," id "it" (see id) + adverbial ending -tem (compare idem "the same"). The Latin adverb was used to introduce a new fact or statement, and in FretimeOld English tima "limited space of time," from Proto-Germanic *timon- "time" (source also of Old Norse timi "time, proper time," Swedish timme "an hour"), from PIE *di-mon-, suffixed form of root *da- "to divide." The abstract sense of "time as an indefinite continuous duration"

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/meterCopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/meter">Etymology of meter by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of meter. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved March 10, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/meterCopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of meter," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed March 10, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/meter.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of meter." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/meter. Accessed 10 March, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of meter." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/meter (accessed March 10, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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