O.E. metan "to measure" (class V strong verb; past tense męt, pp. meten), from P.Gmc. *metanan (cf. O.Fris., O.N. meta, Du. meten, Ger. messen, Goth. mitan "to measure"), probably ultimately from the same PIE base as meter. Only used now with out. Related: Meted; meting.