square

1 of 4

noun

ˈskwer 

1

: an instrument having at least one right angle and two straight edges used especially to lay out or test right angles

2

: a rectangle with all four sides equal

3

: any of the quadrilateral spaces marked out on a board for playing games

4

: the product of a number multiplied by itself

5

a

: an open place or area formed at the meeting of two or more streets

b

: block sense 6a

6

: a solid object or piece approximating a cube or having a square as its largest face

7

: an unopened cotton flower with its enclosing bracts

8

somewhat old-fashioned : a person who is conventional or conservative in taste or way of life

9

: a substantial and satisfying meal

ate three squares a day

square

2 of 4

adjective

squarer; squarest

1

a

: having four equal sides and four right angles

b

: forming a right angle

square corner

c

: having a square base

a square pyramid

2

: raised to the second power

3

a

: being approximately a cube

square cabinet

b

: having a shape that is broad for the height and rectangular rather than curving in outline and that suggests strength and toughness

square shoulders

a square jaw

a square, thick, hard-working man

—Maria Edgeworth

c

: rectangular and equilateral in section

square tower

4

a

: being or converted to a unit of area equal in measure to a square each side of which measures one unit of a specified unit of length

a square foot

see Metric System Table, Weights and Measures Table

b

: being of a specified length in each of two equal dimensions

10 feet square

5

a

: exactly adjusted : precisely constructed or aligned

b

somewhat old-fashioned : just, fair

a square deal

She is square in all her dealings.

square in all his dealings

c(1)

: leaving no balance : settled

leave an account square

(2)

: having nothing owed by either side

Here's what I owe you. Now we're square.

d

: even, tied

The teams were square after the first half.

e

: substantial, satisfying

square meal

f

somewhat old-fashioned : being unsophisticated, conservative, or conventional

6

: set at right angles with the mast and keel

—used of the yards of a square-rigged ship

squareness noun

square

3 of 4

verb

squared; squaring

transitive verb

1

a

: to make square or rectangular

square a building stone

b

: to test for deviation from a right angle, straight line, or plane surface

2

: to bring approximately to a right angle

squared his shoulders

3

a

: to multiply (a number) by itself : raise to the second power

b

: to find a square equal in area to

square a circle

4

: to regulate or adjust by or to some standard or principle

squared her beliefs to her religion

5

a

: balance, settle

square an account

—often used with up

Is this enough money to square up my part of the bill?

b

: to even the score of

squared the game

6

: to mark off into squares

7

a

: to set right : bring into agreement

How can they square what they've done with what they've said?

b

: bribe, fix

intransitive verb

1

: to agree precisely : correspond

Your actions should square with your words.

2

: to settle matters

especially : to pay the bill

—usually used with up

After dinner, they squared up and went home.

squarer noun

square

4 of 4

adverb

1

: in a straightforward or honest manner

always treated him square

won the election fair and square

2

a

: so as to face or be face-to-face

The house stood square with the road.

b

: at right angles

3

: with nothing intervening : directly

ran square into it

4

: in a firm manner

looked her square in the eye

5

: in a square shape

Phrases

on the square

1

: at right angles

2

: in a fair open manner : honestly

out of square

: not at an exact right angle

Synonyms of square

Adjective

• rectangular
• quadrate
• cubic

Verb

• correspond
• coincide
• conform
• fit

Examples of square in a Sentence

Noun

The fabric is decorated with circles and squares.

Cut the brownies into squares.

The board has red and black squares.

Adjective

The room has four square corners.

received a square hearing from the disciplinary panel

Verb

The machine squares the wood into flat boards.

If you square 3, you get 9.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Distinctly Delta uniform initiative builds upon the airline’s partnership with Missoni with accessories like scarves, ties and pocket squares. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025

Soak up the town’s culture at the lively, open-air feira in Praça do Cova, the main square near Praia dos Anjos. —Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025

Adjective

Ford's current headquarters on Michigan Avenue, dubbed the Glass House because of its windowed exterior, is an iconic 950,000-square-foot building on 212 acres of land that has served as the company's headquarters since 1956. —Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025

The Oakland Museum of California lost more than one thousand items in an October 15 break-in targeting the museum’s 100,000-square-foot off-site storage facility. —News Desk, Artforum, 3 Nov. 2025

Verb

With Venus in your career zone squaring Pluto in your sign, power struggles or clashes of ego could surface, especially if others project their expectations onto you. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025

Things got even quieter as some people tried to square the circle of a blind man joining their sightseeing adventure. —Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025

Adverb

After being whisked 14 floors up to our corner suite on the fringes of downtown, the curtains opened to reveal Osaka Castle facing me square on, with its surrounding lush park as a halo—one that, just weeks ago, I was told, had erupted in cherry blossoms. —Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2025

On Lap 36, Power spun Benjamin Pedersen rounding the final corner after the race had restarted, and Castroneves ran square into the A.J. Foyt Racing car. —Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French esquarre, from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, from *exquadrare to square, from Latin ex- + quadrare to square — more at quadrate

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adverb

circa 1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing square

• a square peg in a round hole
• chi-square
• chi-square distribution
• fair and square
• fair/square deal
• four square
• go back to square one
• inverse square law
• Latin square
• magic square
• mean square
• mean square deviation
• miter square
• perfect square
• public square
• Punnett square
• root-mean-square
• set square
• square away
• square bracket
• square dance
• square it with
• square knot
• square matrix
• square meal
• square measure
• square off
• square of opposition
• square one
• square oneself
• square one's shoulders
• square rig
• square-rigged
• square-rigger
• square root
• square sail
• square shooter
• square-toed
• square up
• square up to
• square wave
• square with
• try square
• T square
• word square

Rhymes for square

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

Kids Definition

square

1 of 4 noun

ˈskwa(ə)r 

ˈskwe(ə)r

1

: an instrument having at least one right angle and two straight edges used to draw or test right angles

2

: a rectangle with all four sides equal

3

: any of the four-sided spaces marked out on a board for playing games

4

: the product of a number multiplied by itself

4 is the square of 2

5

a

: an open place or area formed at the meeting of two or more streets

b

: block entry 1 sense 7a

square

2 of 4 adjective

squarer; squarest

1

a

: having four equal sides and four right angles

a square piece of paper

b

: forming a right angle

a square corner

c

: having a square base

a square pyramid

2

a

: being approximately a cube

a square cabinet

b

: of a shape suggesting strength and toughness

a square jaw

square shoulders

c

: having the shape of a square as its cross section

a square tower

3

a

: being a unit of area that has the shape of a square and sides of a specified unit length

a square foot

b

: being of a specified length in each of two equal dimensions

10 feet square

4

a

: exactly adjusted : well made

b

: just entry 1 sense 2a, fair

a square deal

c

: leaving no balance : settled

d

: being tied in score

the golfers were all square after five holes

e

: large enough to satisfy

three square meals a day

5

: not knowing or following the latest styles

squareness noun

square

3 of 4 verb

squared; squaring

1

: to form with right angles, straight edges, and flat surfaces : make square or rectangular

square a timber

2

: to bring to a right angle

squared his shoulders

3

a

: to multiply (a number) by itself : to raise (a number) to the second power

b

: to find a square equal in area to

square a circle

4

: to agree or make agree

his story does not square with the facts

5

: balance entry 2 sense 1, settle

square an account

6

: to mark off into squares

7

: bribe entry 2, fix

8

: to take a fighting stance

the two squared off

square

4 of 4 adverb

: in a direct, firm, or honest manner

looked her square in the eye

Medical Definition

square

adjective

ˈskwa(ə)r, ˈskwe(ə)r 

: being or converted to a unit of area equal in measure to a square each side of which measures one unit of a specified unit of length

a square foot

Legal Definition

square

adjective

: fitting the factual or legal situation at bar

we have been shown no square holding of a Florida court to that effect

—Milhet Caterers, Inc. v. North Western Meat, Inc., 185 So. 2d 196 (1966)

squarely adverb