'meter-controlled' is a modern English compound formed from 'meter' and 'controlled'. 'Meter' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'metron' (through Latin 'metrum' and Old French 'metre'), where 'metron' meant 'measure'. 'Controlled' comes from the verb 'control', which originates from Old French (from constructions like 'contre-roller') and Medieval Latin roots related to checking or recording.

'meter' changed from Greek 'metron' to Latin 'metrum', then into Old French 'metre' and Middle English 'metre' before becoming the modern English 'meter'. 'Control' developed from Old French terms such as 'contre-roller' (to check against a roll or register) via Medieval Latin influences and evolved into the Modern English verb 'control'; the past participle form 'controlled' came to be used in compounds to mean 'being regulated by'. The compound 'meter-controlled' arose in modern technical contexts to describe systems regulated by meters.

Initially, 'meter' meant 'a measure' and 'control' referred to 'checking or regulating (often by comparison to a record)'; over time these elements combined in modern usage to mean 'regulated or operated by a measuring device', which is the current meaning of 'meter-controlled'.