メーター

めーたー
noun
meter; gauge
tooltransportation
1. meter; gauge; measuring instrument
A device that measures and displays a quantity such as speed, distance, electricity usage, or gas consumption. From English 'meter'.
To check the meter.
ガスのメーターを読(よ)む。
To read the gas meter.
The speedometer is showing 100 km/h.
2. taxi meter
The fare meter in a taxi that calculates and displays the fare based on distance and time.
メーターが上(あ)がる。
The (taxi) meter goes up.
To start the taxi meter.
Because of the traffic jam, the meter kept going up.

A loanword from English 'meter'. Used broadly for any measuring instrument or gauge. In taxi contexts, メーターを倒(たお)す (literally 'to knock down the meter') means to start the meter running.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 計器(けいき): instrument, gauge — a more technical, formal term for measuring instruments
  • メートル: metre — the unit of length (not to be confused with メーター the measuring device)