noun / verb
meter
MEE-tur/ˈmiːtər/
A device for measuring or regulating a quantity.
The meter measures water passing through the pipe.
Etymology
The measuring element became a word in its own right after appearing in instrument names such as gasometer. It thus came to name the device that measures an amount, including gas consumption.
In context
Your gas meter measures the volume of gas you use in hundreds of cubic feet. And then your utility company converts that volume into therm for billing.
More examples
- A valve meters the liquid into the pipe.
- The driver checked the parking meter.
- The flow was carefully metered.
Forms
meter · meters · metered · metering
Similar words
- gauge
- An instrument measuring a condition.
- measuring device
- The broader descriptive category.