Definition of meter

The word "meter" originally came from the Greek word "metron," which translates to "measure." This ancient Greek root has traveled far and wide, transforming into similar words in several languages. In Latin, the Greek "metron" transformed into "metrum," which designated a unit of measurement that was used to determine length or volume. It was from this Latin root that the Old French word "mètre" emerged, with its meaning preserved. When the English language adopted the French word "mètre," they anglicized its spelling to "metre" in 1664. Eventually, this spelling was shortened to "meter" in the 19th century, a change that has remained in place ever since. Today, "meter" is used to describe a variety of instruments and units that measure different aspects of our world, such as distance, water flow, and atmospheric pressure, all of which continue to rely on the principles of measurement implicit in the ancient Greek "metron."