gauge

noun \ ˈgāj \

variants: or less commonly gage

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of gauge

1 a : a measurement (as of linear dimension) according to some standard or system: such 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 (such as sheet metal or plastic film)

(4) : the diameter of a slender object (such 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: such as

a : an instrument for measuring a dimension or for testing mechanical accuracy

b : an instrument with a graduated (see ³graduate 2a) 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

See gauge defined for English-language learners

See gauge defined for kids

Examples of gauge in a Sentence

The broadest gauge of the economy—the gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation—has risen little more than 4% since the recovery began. —Alfred L. Malabre, Jr., Wall Street Journal, 26 July 1993

Recent Examples of gauge from the Web

The oldest depth gauge records cover a mere 150 years, a period that started after human engineering began.

— stephanie pappas, Scientific American, "Taming the Mighty Mississippi May Have Caused Bigger Floods," 10 Apr. 2018
Comparable sales -- a key gauge of a retailer’s health -- rose 5 percent at the Abercrombie brand in the three months ended Feb. 3, reversing a lengthy nosedive.

— Bloomberg.com, "Abercrombie's Flagship Brand Is Bouncing Back," 3 Apr. 2018
In December, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, excluding volatile food and energy categories, rose 1.5% from a year earlier.

— nick timiraos, WSJ, "Fed Gives Bullish Signals on Economy," 22 Mar. 2018
The central bank’s preferred price gauge rose 1.7 percent in the 12 months through January and officials projected it to rise to 2 percent in 2019 and hit 2.1 percent the following year, the latest estimates showed.

— Fortune, "Federal Reserve Raises Rates – and Forecasts Steeper Hikes as Economy Soars," 21 Mar. 2018
Leave the saw blade at 73 degrees and crosscut the legs to length using a miter gauge.

— roy berendson, Popular Mechanics, "6 Simple Projects You Can Make From Scrap Wood," 21 Mar. 2018
Sales at stores open at least a year — a key gauge of health in the retail industry — dropped 15.6%.

— charisse jones, USA TODAY, "Sears earnings get boost from new U.S. tax law," 14 Mar. 2018
Democrats and Republicans will likely be looking at turnout numbers in those places as a gauge voter enthusiasm in them.

— dante chinni, NBC News, "Can Texas Democrats turn the Lone Star State blue?," 4 Mar. 2018
In addition, a key price gauge watched by the Fed rose in January by the most in a year...

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump tariffs threaten to unleash economic chaos," 2 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gauge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gauge

Middle English gauge, from Anglo-French

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of gauge

standard, criterion, gauge, yardstick, touchstone mean a means of determining what a thing should be. standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

- standards of behavior

criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

- questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

- polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

- housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

- fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

Other Railroad Terms

cowcatcher, cupola, vestibule, yard

gauge

verb

variants: or less commonly gage

Definition of gauge

gauged also gaged; gauging also gaging

transitive verb

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

See gauge defined for English-language learners

Examples of gauge in a Sentence

Through history, the powers of single black men flash here and there like falling stars, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness. —W. E. B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk, 1903
On the other hand, no one supposes that the intellect of any two animals or of any two men can be accurately gauged by the cubic contents of their skulls. —Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1871
Incommunicative as he was, some time elapsed before I had an opportunity of gauging his mind. I first got an idea of its calibre when I heard him preach in his own church at Morton. —Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
Home sales provide a useful way of gauging the overall state of the economy.
He accurately gauged the mood of the voters.
I was gauging her reaction to the news.
instruments for gauging temperature and humidity