meter vs tape measure

meter

noun
  • A line above or below a hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen it. 

  • The base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), conceived as 1/10,000,000 of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator, and now defined as the distance light will travel in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 seconds. 

  • A parking meter or similar device for collecting payment. 

  • The overall rhythm of a song or poem; particularly, the number of beats in a measure or syllables in a line. 

verb
  • To regulate the flow of or to deliver in regulated amounts (usually of fluids but sometimes of other things such as anticipation or breath). 

  • To imprint a postage mark with a postage meter. 

  • To measure with a metering device. 

tape measure

noun
  • A graduated flexible ribbon used for measuring lengths. 

How often have the words meter and tape measure occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )