'ammeter' originates from the combination of 'ampere' and 'meter', where 'ampere' refers to the unit of electric current and 'meter' refers to a measuring device.

'ammeter' was formed by combining the word 'ampere' with 'meter' to create a term specifically for measuring electric current.

Initially, it meant 'a device to measure electric current in amperes', and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.