water meter

American  

noun

1. a device for measuring and registering the quantity of water that passes through a pipe or other outlet.

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water meter British  

noun

1. a device for measuring the quantity or rate of water flowing through a pipe

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Etymology

Origin of water meter

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

"If you open up that water meter, it gives them full access to the entire supply of the whole city," Taylor told the BBC.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Last week, the city released a statement saying it had locked the warehouse’s water meter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

A diligent plumber will also calculate the pressure loss from the height of the bathroom above the water meter, the pressure loss through the water meter, a backflow preventer and any other pressure regulators.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2024

From opening the box to launching the post-installation tutorial, I spent a total of 21 minutes on the install — most of which was spent cleaning the accumulated dirt and grime off my water meter.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2023

At 5:19, operators went back to unit 1 to try to get another reading off the water meter.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland