short meter

noun

1

or less commonly short measure : a quatrain of which the first, second, and fourth lines are in iambic trimeter and the third in iambic tetrameter : a poulter's measure written as a quatrain

—abbreviation S.M.

2

a

: quick work

make short meter of the job

b

: a short time

finished the job in short meter

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!