Meter
/ˈmiːtər/
Definitions
3 meaningsThe fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equal to 100 centimeters (approximately 39.37 inches).
/ˈmiːtər/
The basic unit of length in the metric system.
The pool is 25 meters long.
💡 Simply: A meter is like a ruler, but it's used to measure bigger things, like how long a room is or how far you walked. Imagine measuring the length of your classroom - that's using meters!
👶 For kids: A meter is like a super long ruler! You use it to see how long things are.
More Examples
The fabric was sold by the meter.
The runner covered 100 meters in a record time.
How It's Used
"The length of the table is approximately two meters."
"The engineer used a meter to measure the distance."
The rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in verse.
/ˈmiːtər/
A rhythmic pattern in poetry.
The poem used a specific meter to create a certain effect.
💡 Simply: Imagine music beats, but in a poem! It's how the words are arranged to create a certain rhythm. Like a song, but with words.
👶 For kids: It's like the beat of a poem, the way the words go up and down in sound!
More Examples
Understanding the meter can enhance your appreciation of poetry.
The meter of the poem was quite complex, requiring careful reading.
How It's Used
"The poem's meter was iambic pentameter."
"Analyzing the meter helps understand the poem's structure."
An instrument designed to measure and display a quantity (e.g., electricity, speed).
/ˈmiːtər/
An instrument for measuring something.
The electricity meter showed a high usage this month.
💡 Simply: A meter is a tool that shows you how much of something there is. Like a speedometer that shows how fast a car is going. Or a water meter that shows how much water you are using.
👶 For kids: A meter is like a special clock that shows how much of something you have. Like a speed meter in a car!
More Examples
The water meter indicates the amount of water consumed.
The speedometer is a meter showing the car's speed.
How It's Used
"The electrician checked the voltage with a meter."
"The car's speedometer is a meter."
From Middle English *metre*, from Old French *metre* (French *mètre*), from Latin *metrum*, from Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron, “measure, verse, rhythm”).
The word 'meter' has been used in English since the late 16th century, primarily as a term for poetic rhythm before its adoption as a unit of measurement in the metric system.
Memory tip
Think of a measuring tape – it often shows the scale in meters.