gauge

1 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly gage
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
c
: measure sense 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 graduate entry 1 sense transitive 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

gauge

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly gage
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

Did you know?

Gage vs. Gauge

There are two gages: one refers to pledges or securities and is no longer in common general use, and the other is a variant spelling of gauge, which in the noun form refers broadly to measurement (“fine-gauge wire”) or a standard by which something is measured (“polls are a good gauge of how voters might vote”). The earliest evidence we have for the noun gauge goes back to the 15th century, when English spelling was not yet standardized, and the word in question was spelled gauge and gage with roughly equal frequency. Gauge began to be preferred in the late 19th century for most general uses. Some claim that gage appears as a variant more frequently in the U.S., though our evidence shows that the vast majority of uses for gage are from specialized and technical industries, such as mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and electronics, and that these uses of gage are global, not limited to the U.S. Nonetheless, total use of the word gage is small when compared to the total use of the word gauge.

The verb gauge, which refers to measuring or estimating, also has a variant gage. This variant appears to show up primarily in informal sources, though not often. Gauge is by far the preferred spelling in general usage for both the noun and the verb; we encourage you use it.

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of gauge in a Sentence

Noun 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
Verb 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. Du Bois, 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Emergency calls also are an imperfect gauge: the plane might not have been in immediate danger, and sometimes planes in trouble never alert controllers. David Koenig, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024 At first, the transaction was painless: Dave asked for a pack of syringes and an employee asked him his preferred size and gauge. Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 The plush interior offers advanced convenience features, such as an 11.9-inch digital gauge cluster that connects to a 14.5-inch central touchscreen angled toward the driver. Karl Brauer, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2024 Those gauges are still reacting to high shelter costs and a sharp climb in gas prices, which together contributed to 60% of the monthly jump in prices in February, according to the latest Consumer Price Index. Bryan Mena, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 Data released last week confirmed that January inflation was hotter than it was meant to be at this stage, according to the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index. Cale Clingenpeel, National Review, 5 Mar. 2024 But the gauge slipped to 76.9 last month from 79 in January, weighed down by persistent inflation. USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024 When shopping for sheet pans, look for thick metal — aluminum or aluminized steel — with a heavy gauge (13 to 18 gauge). Olga Massov, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 One gauge at the highest elevations of Alpine Meadows ski resort recorded a gust of 143 mph Thursday night. 1 of 4 A motorist drives along Interstate 80 eastbound in Truckee, Calif., on Friday, March 1, 2024. Jane Tyska, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
How to avoid traffic during the eclipse To gauge road congestion during and after the eclipse, drivers can visit 511in.org which shares the latest traffic patterns across the state and possibly find alternative routes. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2024 Choi recommends reaching out to your bridal party early to gauge comfort levels with everything from price to colors. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 Some paranoid bosses have turned to keyboard tracking devices to gauge productivity, as the New York Times reported that J.P. Morgan, Barclays, and UnitedHealth Group all use said software. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Former President Donald Trump met with Musk last summer to gauge the billionaire’s interest in buying his social media platform Truth Social, The Washington Post reports, citing two people with knowledge of the conversation. William Gavin, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Any history of unethical practices served as a red flag. Client Satisfaction: Finally, client feedback and testimonials were reviewed to gauge overall satisfaction. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 The organization’s biggest project to date is the Black Census Project, aiming to gauge the priorities of Black communities throughout the US to inform and develop public policy moving forward. Morgan Simon, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The statute, which Gov. Ronald Reagan signed into law in 1970, requires developers to gauge the environmental effects of their projects and plan how to mitigate them — and allows the public to challenge them. Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 The rules are likely to be adopted, but companies and their lawyers are watching the action closely to gauge the prospect that a potential lawsuit could mean companies don’t have to work on figuring out the rule in the meantime. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gauge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gauge, gage "fixed standard of measure," borrowed from Anglo-French gauge, gouge "standard of liquid measure, tax paid to an official who determined the capacity of containers" (continental Old and Middle French jauge "graduated rod used for measuring liquid capacity, measurement by such a rod, capacity of a cask"), perhaps going back to Old Low Franconian *galga "rod, beam," going back to Germanic *galgōn "pole, stake, pole on which a condemned person was hung"; (sense 4) translation of German Massstab — more at gallows entry 1

Note: The semantic supposition behind this etymology is that the Old Low Franconian etymon retained the sense "rod" (lost elsewhere in Germanic) which was specialized to refer to a kind of measuring rod in Gallo-Romance. For detailed argumentation and bibliography see Dictionnaire étymologique de l'ancien français (online) at entry jauge.

Verb

Middle English gawgyn, gagen, borrowed from Anglo-French gauger, derivative of gauge gauge entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gauge was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near gauge

Cite this Entry

“Gauge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gauge. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gauge

1 of 2 noun
variants also gage
ˈgāj
1
: measurement according to some standard or system: as
a
: the distance between the rails of a railroad
b
: the size of a shotgun expressed as the number of lead balls of the same size as the interior diameter of the barrel required to make a pound
a 12-gauge shotgun
c
: the thickness of sheet metal or the diameter of wire or a screw
d
: the fineness of a knitted fabric in loops per unit of width
2
: an instrument for measuring, testing, or registering

gauge

2 of 2 verb
variants also gage
gauged also gaged; gauging also gaging
1
a
: to measure exactly
b
: to find out the capacity or contents of
2
gauger noun

Medical Definition

gauge

1 of 2 noun
variants also gage
1
a
: measurement according to some standard or system
b
: the dimensions or extent of something
2
: an instrument for or a means of measuring or testing
3
: the diameter of a slender object (as a hypodermic needle)

gauge

2 of 2 transitive verb
variants also gage
gauged also gaged; gauging also gaging
1
a
: to measure exactly
b
: to determine the capacity or contents of
2
a
: to check for conformity to specifications or limits
b
: to measure off or set out

More from Merriam-Webster on gauge

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