Main Entry: [1]gauge
Pronunciation: 'gAj
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English gauge, from Old North French
Date: 15th century
1 a : a measurement (as of linear dimension) according to some standard or system: as (1) : the distance between the rails of a railroad (2) : the size of a shotgun barrel's inner diameter nominally expressed as the number of lead balls each just fitting that diameter required to make a pound <a 12-gauge shotgun> (3) : the thickness of a thin material (as sheet metal or plastic film) (4) : the diameter of a slender object (as wire or a hypodermic needle) (5) : the fineness of a knitted fabric expressed by the number of loops per unit width b : DIMENSIONS, SIZE c : MEASURE 1 <surveys are a gauge of public sentiment>
2 : an instrument for or a means of measuring or testing: as a : an instrument for measuring a dimension or for testing mechanical accuracy b : an instrument with a graduated scale or dial for measuring or indicating quantity
3 : relative position of a ship with reference to another ship and the wind
4 : a function introduced into a field equation to produce a convenient form of the equation but having no observable physical consequences
Main Entry: [2]gauge
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): gauged; gaug·ing
Date: 15th century
1 a : to measure precisely the size, dimensions, or other measurable quantity of b : to determine the capacity or contents of c : ESTIMATE, JUDGE <hard to gauge his moods>
2 a : to check for conformity to specifications or limits b : to measure off or set out