What does "gauge" mean?
A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
Gauge
/ˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
- Grammar: gauge is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: adjust, adjust, admeasure, adverb of scope.
- Useful contrasts: guess, misadjust, miscalibrate.
- Usage evidence: Gauge queens constantly up the ante in order to assert their commitment to a counter cultural look.
How to use "gauge"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gauge" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gauge" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gauge" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gauge" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
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- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gauge" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adjust" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gauge", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard countable, uncountable
"1780, Edmund Burke, speech at The Guildhall, in Bristol the gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt"
- 2 a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc. wordnet
- 3 An act of measuring. countable, uncountable
- 4 diameter of a tube or gun barrel wordnet
- 5 An estimate. countable, uncountable
Show 17 more definitions
- 6 the thickness of wire wordnet
- 7 Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things countable, uncountable
- 8 the distance between the rails of a railway or between the wheels of a train wordnet
- 9 A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes, with lower numbers indicating larger size. countable, uncountable
- 10 accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared wordnet
- 11 Ellipsis of track gauge. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
"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."
- 12 Ellipsis of loading gauge. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
- 13 A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space. countable, uncountable
- 14 The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance. countable, uncountable
- 15 Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 16 The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water. countable, uncountable
- 17 The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to make it set more quickly. countable, uncountable
- 18 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. countable, uncountable
- 19 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. countable, uncountable
- 20 A shotgun (synecdoche for 12 gauge shotgun, the most common chambering for combat and hunting shotguns). US, broadly, countable, slang, uncountable
"I'm talking about cocking a gauge in between your eyes."
- 21 A tunnel-like ear piercing consisting of a hollow ring embedded in the lobe. countable, uncountable
"Jenni didn't really look as though she fit in with the rest of the girls here, she had a nose piercing and angel bites, her long curly dark brown hair with red highlights was pulled back exposing gauges and many other ear piercings and a tattoo […]"
- 22 Cannabis. slang, uncountable
"[…] smoking gauge was a new phenomenon to Himes: “When I looked up after turning the corner, all the grimy facades seemed to be a blaze of bright colors, gold, scarlet, blue, green, like an array of peacocks. […]"
Verb
- 1 To measure or determine with a gauge; to measure the capacity of. transitive
- 2 mix in specific proportions wordnet
- 3 To estimate. transitive
- 4 adapt to a specified measurement wordnet
- 5 To appraise the character or ability of; to judge of. transitive
"You shall not gauge me / By what we do to-night."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 measure precisely and against a standard wordnet
- 7 To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it. transitive
- 8 judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time) wordnet
- 9 To mix (a quantity of ordinary plaster) with a quantity of plaster of Paris. transitive
- 10 determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation wordnet
- 11 To chip, hew or polish (stones, bricks, etc) to a standard size and/or shape. transitive
- 12 rub to a uniform size wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name.
Antonyms
Example
"Gauge queens constantly up the ante in order to assert their commitment to a counter cultural look."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gauge"?
Common synonyms include: adjust, adjust, admeasure, adverb of scope, ajaia, align.
How do you use "gauge" in a sentence?
Gauge queens constantly up the ante in order to assert their commitment to a counter cultural look.
How do you pronounce "gauge"?
Pronounced /ˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/.
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.