Stere
/ˈstɪər/noun
A metric unit of volume equal to one cubic metre, used especially for measuring firewood.
Did you know?The unit was created in 1795 during the French Revolution as part of the metric system, whose designers deliberately replaced older regional measures with supposedly universal standards.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ster-
“Stiff, rigid, or solid”
Ancient Greek
Greek
στερεός (stereos)
“Solid, firm, or three-dimensional”
1795
French
stère
“A metric measure of solid volume equal to one cubic metre”
19th Century
English
stere
“A unit of volume, especially for stacked firewood”
Modern English
English
stere
“One cubic metre, chiefly used in contexts involving firewood”