Etymology: Middle English sise assize, from Anglo-French, short for assise — more at assize
Date: 13th century
1dialect British:assize 2a —usually used in plural 2obsolete: a fixed portion of food or drink 3 a: physical magnitude, extent, or bulk : relative or proportionate dimensions b: relative aggregate amount or number c: considerable proportions :bigness 4: one of a series of graduated measures especially of manufactured articles (as of clothing) conventionally identified by numbers or letters <a size seven hat> 5: character, quality, or status of a person or thing especially with reference to importance, relative merit, or correspondence to needs <try this idea on for size> 6: actual state of affairs <that's about the size of it>