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The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary · Project Gutenberg — chapter 7010 of 12779 · ~553 words · public domain

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<hw>Me`te*or"o*man`cy</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[<ets>Meteor</ets> + <ets>-mancy</ets> : cf. F. <ets>m\'82t\'82oromancie</ets>.]</ety> <def>A species of divination by meteors, chiefly by thunder and lightning, which was held in high estimation by the Romans.</def>

<h1>Meteorometer</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>Me`te*or*om"e*ter</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[<ets>Meteor</ets> + <ets>-meter</ets>.]</ety> <def>An apparatus which transmits automatically to a central station atmospheric changes as marked by the anemometer, barometer, thermometer, etc.</def>

<h1>Meteoroscope</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>Me`te*or"o*scope</hw> <tt>(?; 277)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/, fr. <?/ observing the heavenly bodies; <?/ + <?/ to view: cf. F. <ets>m\'82t\'82oroscope</ets>. See <er>Meteor</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Astron.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <def>An astrolabe; a planisphere.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark> <sd>(b)</sd> <def>An instrument for measuring the position, length, and direction, of the apparent path of a shooting star.</def>

<h1>Meteorous</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>Me*te"o*rous</hw> <tt>(? &or; ?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[See <er>Meteor</er>.]</ety> <def>Of the nature or appearance of a meteor.</def>

<h1>-meter</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>-me"ter</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>. <ety>[L. <ets>metrum</ets> measure, or the allied Gr. <?/. See <er>Meter</er> rhythm.]</ety> <def>A suffix denoting <i>that by which anything is measured</i>; <as>as, baro<ex>meter</ex>, chrono<ex>meter</ex>, dynamo<ex>meter</ex></as>.</def>

<h1>Meter</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>Me"ter</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[From <er>Mete</er> to measure.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>One who, or that which, metes or measures. See <er>Coal-meter</er>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>An instrument for measuring, and usually for recording automatically, the quantity measured.</def>

<cs><col>Dry meter</col>, <cd>a gas meter having measuring chambers, with flexible walls, which expand and contract like bellows and measure the gas by filling and emptying.</cd> -- <col>W<?/t meter</col>, <cd>a gas meter in which the revolution of a chambered drum in water measures the gas passing through it.</cd></cs>

<h1>Meter</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>Me"ter</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>A line above or below a hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen it.</def>

<h1>Meter, Metre</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw><hw>Me"ter</hw>, <hw>Me"tre</hw><hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>metre</ets>, F. <ets>m\'8atre</ets>, L. <ets>metrum</ets>, fr. Gr. <?/; akin to Skr. <ets>m\'be</ets> to measure. See <er>Mete</er> to measure.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Rhythmical arrangement of syllables or words into verses, stanzas, strophes, etc.; poetical measure, depending on number, quantity, and accent of syllables; rhythm; measure; verse; also, any specific rhythmical arrangements; <as>as, the Horatian <ex>meters</ex>; a dactylic <ex>meter</ex>.</as></def>

<blockquote>The only strict antithesis to prose is <b>meter</b>. <i>Wordsworth.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A poem.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Robynson (More's Utopia).</i>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A measure of length, equal to 39.37 English inches, the standard of linear measure in the metric system of weights and measures. It was intended to be, and is very nearly, the ten millionth part of the distance from the equator to the north pole, as ascertained by actual measurement of an arc of a meridian. See <cref>Metric system</cref>, under <er>Metric</er>.</def>

<cs><col>Common meter</col> <fld>(Hymnol.)</fld>, <cd>four iambic verses, or lines, making a stanza, the first and third having each four feet, and the second and fourth each three feet; -- usually indicated by the initials C.M.</cd> -- <col>Long meter</col> <fld>(Hymnol.)</fld>, <cd>iambic verses or lines of four feet each, four verses usually making a stanza; -- commonly indicated by the initials L.M.</cd> -- <col>Short meter</col> <fld>(Hymnol.)</fld>, <cd>iambic verses or lines, the first, second, and fourth having each three feet, and the third four feet. The stanza usually consists of four lines, but is sometimes doubled. <i>Short meter<i> is indicated by the initials S.M.</cd></cs>

<h1>Meterage</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>Me"ter*age</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[See 1st <er>Meter</er>.]</ety> <def>The act of measuring, or the cost of measuring.</def>

<h1>Metergram</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>Me"ter*gram`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Mech.)</fld> <def>A measure of energy or work done; the power exerted in raising one gram through the distance of one meter against gravitation.</def>

<h1>Metewand</h1> <Xpage=919>

<hw>Mete"wand`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> </def><ety>[<ets>Mete</ets> to measure + <ets>wand</ets>.]</ety> <def>A measuring rod.</def>

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