Other forms: parking meters
A parking meter collects money in return for you leaving your car in a spot for a specific amount of time. If you're just running into the library, you can put a quarter in the parking meter.
Pull into an on-street, public parking spot, and you'll probably see a parking meter. Older meters have a slot for inserting coins, while newer versions allow drivers to use credit cards and smartphone apps. No matter how you pay, you're buying an allotted amount of time to leave your car parked there. Outstay the hour you've paid for and you might get a parking ticket! The root of meter means "to measure."