also metre, "poetic measure," Old English meter "meter, versification," from Latin metrum, from Greek metron "meter, a verse; that by which anything is measured; measure, length, size, limit, proportion," from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure" (see meter (n.2)). Possibly reborrowed early 14c. (after a 300-year gap in recorded use) from Old French metre, with specific sense of "metrical scheme in verse," from Latin metrum.
meter (n.2)
also metre, unit of length, 1797, from French mètre (18c.), from Greek metron "measure," from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure" (cognates: Greek metra "lot, portion," Sanskrit mati "measures," matra "measure," Avestan, Old Persian ma-, Latin metri "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. Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the length of a quadrant of the meridian.
meter (n.3)
"device for measuring," abstracted 1832 from gas-meter, etc., from French -mètre, used in combinations (in English from 1790), from Latin metrum "measure" or cognate Greek metron "measure" (see meter (n.2)). Influenced by English meter "person who measures" (late 14c., agent noun from mete (v.)). As short for parking meter from 1960. Meter maid first recorded 1957; meter reader 1963.
meter (v.)
"to measure by means of a meter," 1884, from meter (n.3). Meaning "install parking meters" is from 1957.
雙語例句
1. Only a third of these households thought it reasonable to meter water.
這些家庭當中只有三分之一認為用水表計量是合理的。
來自柯林斯例句
2. They have the right to come in and inspect the meter.
他們有權進來查表。
來自柯林斯例句
3. A man came to read the gas meter.
有位男子來查過煤氣表。
來自《權威詞典》
4. Space the desk a meter apart so that the pupils can't cheat.
把桌子按一米的間隔擺開以防學生作弊.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
5. He walked away from all his competitors in the 3000 - meter race.