Gauge

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Gauge, v. t. [OF. gaugier, F. jauger, cf. OF. gauge gauge, measuring rod, F. jauge; of uncertain origin; perh. fr. an assumed L. qualificare to determine the qualities of a thing (see Qualify); but cf. also F. jalon a measuring stake in surveying, and E. gallon.].

•  To measure or determine with a gauge.  [1913 Webster]
•  To measure or to ascertain the contents or the capacity of, as of a pipe, barrel, or keg.  [1913 Webster]
•  To measure the dimensions of, or to test the accuracy of the form of, as of a part of a gunlock.  [1913 Webster]

  "The vanes nicely gauged on each side."  [1913 Webster]
•  To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it, as cloth or a garment.  [1913 Webster]
•  To measure the capacity, character, or ability of; to estimate; to judge of.  [1913 Webster]

  "You shall not gauge me
  By what we do to-night."  [1913 Webster]

Gauge, n. [Written also gage.].

•  A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard.  [1913 Webster]

  "This plate must be a gauge to file your worm and groove to equal breadth by."  [1913 Webster]

  "There is not in our hands any fixed gauge of minds."  [1913 Webster]
•  Measure; dimensions; estimate.  [1913 Webster]

  "The gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the dimensions or forms of things; a templet or template; as, a button maker's gauge.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any instrument or apparatus for measuring the state of a phenomenon, or for ascertaining its numerical elements at any moment; -- usually applied to some particular instrument; as, a rain gauge; a steam gauge.  [1913 Webster]
•  Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind; as, 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.  Totten.  [1913 Webster]
•  The distance between the rails of a railway.  [1913 Webster]

  " The standard gauge of railroads in most countries is four feet, eight and one half inches. Wide, or broad, gauge, in the United States, is six feet; in England, seven feet, and generally any gauge exceeding standard gauge. Any gauge less than standard gauge is now called narrow gauge. It varies from two feet to three feet six inches."  [1913 Webster]
•  The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to accelerate its setting.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

Gauge of a carriage, car, etc., the distance between the wheels; -- ordinarily called the track. -- Gauge cock, a stop cock used as a try cock for ascertaining the height of the water level in a steam boiler. -- Gauge concussion (Railroads), the jar caused by a car-wheel flange striking the edge of the rail. -- Gauge glass, a glass tube for a water gauge. -- Gauge lathe, an automatic lathe for turning a round object having an irregular profile, as a baluster or chair round, to a templet or gauge. -- Gauge point, the diameter of a cylinder whose altitude is one inch, and contents equal to that of a unit of a given measure; -- a term used in gauging casks, etc. -- Gauge rod, a graduated rod, for measuring the capacity of barrels, casks, etc. -- Gauge saw, a handsaw, with a gauge to regulate the depth of cut. Knight. -- Gauge stuff, a stiff and compact plaster, used in making cornices, moldings, etc., by means of a templet. -- Gauge wheel, a wheel at the forward end of a plow beam, to determine the depth of the furrow. -- Joiner's gauge, an instrument used to strike a line parallel to the straight side of a board, etc. -- Printer's gauge, an instrument to regulate the length of the page. -- Rain gauge, an instrument for measuring the quantity of rain at any given place. -- Salt gauge, or Brine gauge, an instrument or contrivance for indicating the degree of saltness of water from its specific gravity, as in the boilers of ocean steamers. -- Sea gauge, an instrument for finding the depth of the sea. -- Siphon gauge, a glass siphon tube, partly filled with mercury, -- used to indicate pressure, as of steam, or the degree of rarefaction produced in the receiver of an air pump or other vacuum; a manometer. -- Sliding gauge. (Mach.) (a) A templet or pattern for gauging the commonly accepted dimensions or shape of certain parts in general use, as screws, railway-car axles, etc. (b) A gauge used only for testing other similar gauges, and preserved as a reference, to detect wear of the working gauges. (c) (Railroads) See Note under Gauge, n., 5. -- Star gauge (Ordnance), an instrument for measuring the diameter of the bore of a cannon at any point of its length. -- Steam gauge, an instrument for measuring the pressure of steam, as in a boiler. -- Tide gauge, an instrument for determining the height of the tides. -- Vacuum gauge, a species of barometer for determining the relative elasticities of the vapor in the condenser of a steam engine and the air. -- Water gauge. (a) A contrivance for indicating the height of a water surface, as in a steam boiler; as by a gauge cock or glass. (b) The height of the water in the boiler. -- Wind gauge, an instrument for measuring the force of the wind on any given surface; an anemometer. -- Wire gauge, a gauge for determining the diameter of wire or the thickness of sheet metal; also, a standard of size. See under Wire.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Gauge, n. & v. (US gage: see also sense 7)
--n.
1 a standard measure to which certain things must conform, esp.: a the measure of the capacity or contents of a barrel. b the fineness of a textile. c the diameter of a bullet. d the thickness of sheet metal.
2 any of various instruments for measuring or determining this, or for measuring length, thickness, or other dimensions or properties.
3 the distance between a pair of rails or the wheels on one axle.
4 the capacity, extent, or scope of something.
5 a means of estimating; a criterion or test.
6 a graduated instrument measuring the force or quantity of rainfall, stream, tide, wind, etc.
7 (usu. gage) Naut. a relative position with respect to the wind.
--v.tr.
1 measure exactly (esp. objects of standard size).
2 determine the capacity or content of.
3 estimate or form a judgement of (a person, temperament, situation, etc.).
4 make uniform; bring to a standard size or shape.

Idiom

gauge pressure the amount by which a pressure exceeds that of the atmosphere. take the gauge of estimate.

Derivative

gaugeable adj. gauger n.

Etymology

ME f. ONF gauge, gauger, of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

Gauge

Johansson block, T square, adjust, amount, amplitude, appraise, appreciate, area, assay, assess, barometer, basis, benchmark, bigness, body, breadth, bulk, calculate, caliber, calibrate, caliper, calipers, call, canon, capacity, catalog, categorize, chain, check, check a parameter, class, classify, compass, compute, coverage, criterion, degree, depth, determine, dial, diameter, dimension, dimensions, dipstick, divide, dividers, enlarge, estimate, evaluate, example, expanse, expansion, extension, extent, factor, fathom, feeler gauge, figure, foot rule, form an estimate, gage, gauge block, gauger, girth, give an appreciation, goniometer, grade, gradiometer, graduate, graduated scale, greatness, group, guess, guide, guideline, height, identify, instrument, judge, largeness, length, level, limit, line, litmus test, log, log line, magnitude, make an estimation, mark, mass, match, measure, measurement, measurer, mensurate, mete, meter, meterstick, micrometer, model, norm, octant, pace, parameter, pattern, plumb, plumb rule, prize, probe, proportion, proportions, protractor, quadrant, quantify, quantity, quantize, radius, range, rank, rate, reach, reading, readout, reckon, rod, rule, ruler, scale, scope, sector, set square, sextant, sift, size, size up, sort, sort out, sound, span, spirit level, spread, square, standard, step, survey, take a reading, tape, tape measure, tapeline, test, theodolite, thrash out, touchstone, transit, transit theodolite, triangulate, try square, type, valuate, value, vernier, vernier caliper, volume, weigh, width, winnow, yardstick

ROGET THESAURUS

Gauge

Measurement

N measurement, admeasurement, mensuration, survey, valuation, appraisement, assessment, assize, estimate, estimation, dead reckoning, reckoning, gauging, horse power, metrology, weights and measures, compound arithmetic, measure, yard measure, standard, rule, foot rule, compass, calipers, gage, gauge, meter, line, rod, check, dividers, velo, flood mark, high water mark, Plimsoll line, index, scale, graduation, graduated scale, nonius, vernier, bathometer, galvanometer, heliometer, interferometer, odometer, ombrometer, pantometer, pluviometer, pneumatometer, pneumometer, radiometer, refractometer, respirometer, rheometer, spirometer, telemeter, udometer, vacuometer, variometer, viameter, thermometer, thermistor (heat) &c, barometer (air), anemometer (wind), dynamometer, goniometer, (angle) 244 meter, landmark, balance, scale, marigraph, pneumatograph, stethograph, rain gauge, rain gage, voltmeter (volts), ammeter (amps), spectrophotometer (light absorbance), mass spectrophotometer (molecular mass), geiger counter, scintillation counter (radioactivity), pycnometer (liquid density), graduated cylinder, volumetric flask (volume), radar gun (velocity), radar (distance), side-looking radar, (shape, topography), sonar (depth in water), light meter (light intensity), clock, watch, stopwatch, chronometer (time), anemometer (wind velocity), densitometer (color intensity), measurability, computability, determinability, coordinates, ordinate and abscissa, polar coordinates, latitude and longitude, declination and right ascension, altitude and azimuth, geometry, stereometry, hypsometry, metage, surveying, land surveying, geodesy, geodetics, geodesia, orthometry, altimetry, cadastre, astrolabe, armillary sphere, land surveyor, geometer, measuring, metric, metrical, measurable, perceptible, noticeable, detectable, appreciable, ponderable, determinable, fathomable, geodetical, topographic, topographical, cartographic, cartographical.

VB measure, mete, determine, assay, evaluate, value, assess, rate, appraise, estimate, form an estimate, set a value on, appreciate, standardize, span, pace step, apply the compass, gauge, plumb, probe, sound, fathom, heave the log, heave the lead, survey, weigh, take an average, graduate.

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.