parking meter

noun

1. a mechanical device for registering and collecting payment for the length of time that a vehicle occupies a parking space, consisting typically of a timer, actuated by a coin that a driver deposits upon parking, set in a headpiece mounted on a pole.

parking meter

noun

1. a timing device, usually coin-operated, that indicates how long a vehicle may be left parked

Word History and Origins

Origin of parking meter¹

First recorded in 1930–35