meter3

 
Pronunciation: /ˈmiːtə/

noun

  • a device that measures and records the quantity, degree, or rate of something: an electricity meter

verb

[with object]
  • measure by means of a meter: digital switchboards metered calls by seconds and dialled destination (as adjective metered) a metered supply of water (as noun metering) the introduction of water metering

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'person who measures'): from mete1 + -er1. The current sense dates from the 19th century

Do not confuse meter with metre. A meter is a device that measures and records something ( a gas meter), whereas a metre is a unit of measurement or the rhythm of a poem. However, the American spelling for both meanings is meter.