gauge
/ˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.02 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes, with lower numbers indicating larger size.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "1780, Edmund Burke, speech at The Guildhall, in Bristol the gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt"
- "The record of philosophy vis-à-vis silence is generally dismal, as good a gauge as any to its overall failure."
- "It was Locke who concisely won the argument for a standardised gauge of 4ft 8½ inches over Brunel's 7ft 0 ¼in preference. […] Today, over 60% of the world's railways use that gauge."
- "A vessel has the weather gauge of another when on the windward side of it, and the lee gauge when on the lee side of it."
- "I'm talking about cocking a gauge in between your eyes."
- "I'm tryin to find ways to cope / But I ain't fuckin' round with the gauge or a rope"
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 *galgā (“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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: gauge, -, *galgō, *galgô, *ǵʰalgʰ-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/
- British English: /ˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/
Usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
- American usage
- Slang
- Transitive verb