GAUGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does gauge mean? 

• GAUGE (noun)
  The noun GAUGE has 5 senses:

1. a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.

2. accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared

3. the distance between the rails of a railway or between the wheels of a train

4. the thickness of wire

5. diameter of a tube or gun barrel

  Familiarity information: GAUGE used as a noun is common.

• GAUGE (verb)
  The verb GAUGE has 6 senses:

1. judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)

2. rub to a uniform size

3. determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation

4. measure precisely and against a standard

5. adapt to a specified measurement

6. mix in specific proportions

  Familiarity information: GAUGE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GAUGE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

gage; gauge

Hypernyms ("gauge" is a kind of...):

measuring device; measuring instrument; measuring system (instrument that shows the extent or amount or quantity or degree of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gauge"):

depth gage; depth gauge (a gauge for measuring the depth of grooves or holes or other concavities)

dipstick (a graduated rod dipped into a container to indicate the fluid level)

gas gage; gas gauge; gasoline gage; gasoline gauge; petrol gage; petrol gauge (gauge that indicates the amount of gasoline left in the gasoline tank of a vehicle)

pressure gage; pressure gauge (gauge for measuring and indicating fluid pressure)

pluviometer; rain gage; rain gauge; udometer (gauge consisting of an instrument to measure the quantity of precipitation)

strain gage; strain gauge (a gauge for measuring strain in a surface)

scribing block; surface gage; surface gauge (gauge consisting of a scriber mounted on an adjustable stand; used to test the accuracy of plane surfaces)

vacuum gage; vacuum gauge (a gauge for indicating negative atmospheric pressure)

water gage; water gauge; water glass (gauge for indicating the level of water in e.g. a tank or boiler or reservoir)

wire gage; wire gauge (gauge for measuring the diameter of wire)

anemometer; wind gage; wind gauge (a gauge for recording the speed and direction of wind)

Derivation:

gauge (determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Synonyms:

gauge; standard of measurement

Hypernyms ("gauge" is a kind of...):

criterion; measure; standard; touchstone (a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated)

Derivation:

gauge (measure precisely and against a standard)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The distance between the rails of a railway or between the wheels of a train

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("gauge" is a kind of...):

distance; length (size of the gap between two places)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gauge"):

narrow gauge (a railroad track (or its width) narrower than the standard 56.5 inches)

standard gauge (railroad track having the standard width of 56.5 inches)

broad gauge (a railroad track (or its width) broader than the standard 56.5 inches)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The thickness of wire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("gauge" is a kind of...):

thickness (the dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Diameter of a tube or gun barrel

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

bore; caliber; calibre; gauge

Hypernyms ("gauge" is a kind of...):

diam; diameter (the length of a straight line passing through the center of a circle and connecting two points on the circumference)

• GAUGE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

approximate; estimate; gauge; guess; judge

Context example:

I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds

Hypernyms (to "gauge" is one way to...):

calculate; cipher; compute; cypher; figure; reckon; work out (make a mathematical calculation or computation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gauge"):

quantise; quantize (approximate (a signal varying continuously in amplitude) by one whose amplitude is restricted to a prescribed set of discrete values)

misgauge (gauge something incorrectly or improperly)

place; put; set (estimate)

give (estimate the duration or outcome of something)

lowball; underestimate (make a deliberately low estimate)

assess (estimate the value of (property) for taxation)

make (calculate as being)

count; reckon (take account of)

truncate (approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one)

guesstimate (estimate based on a calculation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Rub to a uniform size

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

gauge bricks

Hypernyms (to "gauge" is one way to...):

rub (move over something with pressure)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

gauge the wine barrels

Hypernyms (to "gauge" is one way to...):

ascertain; determine; find; find out (establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

gauge (a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Measure precisely and against a standard

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

the wire is gauged

Hypernyms (to "gauge" is one way to...):

measure; quantify (express as a number or measure or quantity)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

gauge (accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Adapt to a specified measurement

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

gauge the instruments

Hypernyms (to "gauge" is one way to...):

standardise; standardize (cause to conform to standard or norm)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Mix in specific proportions

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

gauge plaster

Hypernyms (to "gauge" is one way to...):

blend; coalesce; combine; commingle; conflate; flux; fuse; immix; meld; merge; mix (mix together different elements)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

The researchers also used the screening test to gauge the effectiveness of combinations of drugs against antibiotic-resistant bacteria in this study.

(Research on new, rapid screening test identifies potential therapies against drug-resistant bacteria, NIH)

The gel-filled model (phantom) then undergoes MRI, CT, ultrasound, or radiation therapy, to gauge how effective the same procedure might be for the patient.

(Gel Dosimetry, NCI Thesaurus)

To gauge a mother’s folate level during pregnancy, the researchers measured folate from stored plasma samples that were collected two to three days after delivery.

(Proper maternal folate level may reduce child obesity risk, NIH)

A set of parameters established as a reference to gauge levels of nausea and vomiting.

(Baseline Nausea and Vomiting, NCI Thesaurus)

To gauge the long-term effects of the training, participants were tested a year later.

(How Our Memory Works, NIH, US)

She can gauge him by them.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

In the stern-sheets I found a rusty ten-gauge shot-gun and a sailor’s sheath-knife broken short across and so rusted as to be almost unrecognizable.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He studied the nail-formation, and prodded the finger-tips, now sharply, and again softly, gauging the while the nerve-sensations produced.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I put myself in the man’s place and, having first gauged his intelligence, I try to imagine how I should myself have proceeded under the same circumstances.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Dick,” said Silver, “I trust you. I've a gauge on the keg, mind. There's the key; you fill a pannikin and bring it up.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)