gauge

English Online Dictionary. What means gauge‎? What does gauge mean?

English

Alternative forms

• gage

Etymology

From Middle English gauge, gaugen, from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French gauger (compare Modern French jauger from Old French jaugier), from gauge (“gauging rod”), from Frankish *galga (“measuring rod, pole”), from Proto-Germanic *galgô (“pole, stake, cross”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰalgʰ-, *ǵʰalg- (“perch, long switch”). Cognate with Old High German galgo, Old Frisian galga, Old English ġealga (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse galgi (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse gelgja (“pole, perch”). Doublet of gallows.

Pronunciation

• enPR: gāj
  • (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/
  • (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈɡæɪd͡ʒ/
• Rhymes: -eɪdʒ
• Homophone: gage

Noun

gauge (countable and uncountable, plural gauges)

1. A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
   • 1780, Edmund Burke, speech at The Guildhall, in Bristol

     the gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt
2. An act of measuring.
3. An estimate.
4. Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things
5. A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes, with lower numbers indicating larger size.
6. (rail transport) Ellipsis of track gauge.
7. (rail transport) Ellipsis of loading gauge.
8. (mathematics, mathematical analysis) A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space.
9. (knitting) The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance.
10. (nautical) Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind.

11. (nautical) The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
12. (plastering) The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to make it set more quickly.
13. That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of such shingles, slates, or tiles.
14. (firearms) A unit of measurement which describes how many spheres of bore diameter of a shotgun can be had from one pound of lead; 12 gauge is roughly equivalent to .75 caliber.
15. (US, slang, by extension) A shotgun (synecdoche for 12 gauge shotgun, the most common chambering for combat and hunting shotguns).
16. A tunnel-like ear piercing consisting of a hollow ring embedded in the lobe.

    Synonym: ear gauge
17. (slang, uncountable) Cannabis.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

gauge (third-person singular simple present gauges, present participle gauging, simple past and past participle gauged)

1. (transitive) To measure or determine with a gauge; to measure the capacity of.
2. (transitive) To estimate.
3. (transitive) To appraise the character or ability of; to judge of.
4. (textile, transitive) To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it.
5. (transitive) To mix (a quantity of ordinary plaster) with a quantity of plaster of Paris.
6. (transitive) To chip, hew or polish (stones, bricks, etc) to a standard size and/or shape.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• gage
• gouge

References

• “gauge”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• gage

Etymology

From Old Northern French gauge, from Frankish *galga, from Proto-Germanic *galgô. Doublet of galwes.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡau̯d͡ʒ(ə)/, /ˈɡaːd͡ʒ(ə)/

Noun

gauge

1. A customary measurement or scale.

Related terms

• gaugen
• gauger

Descendants

• English: gauge
• Scots: gauge

References

• “gauǧe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-22.

Old French

Noun

gauge oblique singular, f (oblique plural gauges, nominative singular gauge, nominative plural gauges)

1. Alternative form of jauge