Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense gauges, present participle gauging, past tense, past participle gauged
1. verb
If you gauge the speed or strength of something, or if you gauge an amount, you measure or calculate it, often by using a device of some kind.
He gauged the wind at over thirty knots. [VERB noun]
Distance is gauged by journey time rather than miles. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: measure, calculate, evaluate, value More Synonyms of gauge
2. countable noun [oft noun NOUN]
A gauge is a device that measures the amount or quantity of something and shows the amountmeasured.
...temperature gauges.
...pressure gauges.
3. verb
If you gauge people's actions, feelings, or intentions in a particular situation, you carefully consider and judge them.
...as he gauged possible enemy moves and his own responses. [VERB noun]
His mood can be gauged by his reaction to the most trivial of incidents. [VERB noun]
4. singular noun
A gaugeof someone's feelings or a situation is a fact or event that can be used to judge them.
The index is the government's chief gauge of future economic activity. [+ of]
Synonyms: indicator, test, rule, standard More Synonyms of gauge
5. countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
A gauge is the distance between the two rails on a railway line.
...a narrow gauge railway.
6. countable noun
A gauge is the thickness of something, especially metal or wire.
More Synonyms of gauge
gauge in British English
or gage (ɡeɪdʒ)
verb(transitive)
1.
to measure or determine the amount, quantity, size, condition, etc, of
2.
to estimate or appraise; judge
3.
to check for conformity or bring into conformity with a standard measurement, dimension, etc
noun
4.
a standard measurement, dimension, capacity, or quantity
5.
any of various instruments for measuring a quantity
a pressure gauge
6.
any of various devices used to check for conformity with a standard measurement
7.
a standard or means for assessing; test; criterion
8.
scope, capacity, or extent
9.
the diameter of the barrel of a gun, esp a shotgun
10.
the thickness of sheet metal or the diameter of wire
11.
the distance between the rails of a railway track: in Britain 4 ft 81⁄2 in. (1.435 m)
12.
the distance between two wheels on the same axle of a vehicle, truck, etc
13. nautical
the position of a vessel in relation to the wind and another vessel. One vessel may be windward (weather gauge) or leeward (lee gauge) of the other
14.
the proportion of plaster of Paris added to mortar to accelerate its setting
15.
the distance between the nails securing the slates, tiles, etc, of a roof
16.
a measure of the fineness of woven or knitted fabric, usually expressed as the number of needles used per inch
17.
the width of motion-picture film or magnetic tape
adjective
18.
(of a pressure measurement) measured on a pressure gauge that registers zero at atmospheric pressure; above or below atmospheric pressure
5 bar gauge
See also absolute (sense 10)
Derived forms
gaugeable (ˈgaugeable) or gageable (ˈgageable)
adjective
gaugeably (ˈgaugeably) or gageably (ˈgageably)
adverb
Word origin
C15: from Old Northern French, probably of Germanic origin
gauge in American English
(geɪdʒ)
noun
1.
a standard measure or scale of measurement
2.
dimensions, capacity, thickness, etc.
3.
any device for measuring something, as the thickness of wire, the dimensions of amachined part, the amount of liquid in a container, steam pressure, etc.
4.
any means of estimating or judging
5.
the distance between the rails of a rail track
see also standard gauge, broad gauge, narrow gauge
6.
the distance between parallel wheels at opposite ends of an axle
7.
the size of a bore, esp. of a shotgun, expressed in terms of the number per pound of round lead balls of a diameter equal to that of the bore
8.
the thickness of sheet metal, diameter of wire, etc.
9.
a.
a measure of the fineness of a knitted or crocheted fabric
b.
the fineness of a machine-knitted fabric expressed in terms of the number of loops per 11⁄2 inches
10. Nautical
the position of a ship in relation to another ship and the wind
a sailboat that has the weather gauge of another boat is to windward of it
11. Plastering
the amount of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to hasten its setting
see also gage1
verb transitiveWord forms: gauged or ˈgauging
12.
to measure accurately by means of a gauge
13.
to measure the size, amount, extent, or capacity of
14.
to estimate; judge; appraise
15.
to bring to correct gauge; make conform with a standard
16. Masonry
to cut or rub (bricks or stone) to a desired shape
17. Plastering
to mix (plaster) in the proportions required for a specified setting time
The club has compiled a shortlist of possible successors and some have been contacted to gauge their interest.
The Sun (2016)
The company spent yesterday calling shareholders to gauge reaction.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
How do you gauge the number of meetings that are healthy for you and the church?
Christianity Today (2000)
Use the like button sparingly until you can gauge interest.
The Sun (2015)
The way people learnt was also carefully gauged.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The temperature can be adjusted with an air vent and checked using a gauge.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Sometimes the injection system failure warning light comes on and the engine temperature gauge does not move.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The company said yesterday that it was too early to gauge employee reaction.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Ring potential students to gauge interest before booking anything.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The camera is a bit fiddly and failing some jumps is down to not being able to gauge the distance.
The Sun (2016)
They also say that at the time the game was arranged it was hard to gauge the future political landscape.
The Sun (2014)
There seems to be a degree of insecurity and that becomes all the more apparent with each attempt to gauge his mood.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Teddy is the smallest class of conventional standard gauge locomotive built for use in Britain.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It's basically an inflatable cuff attached to a pressure gauge.
The Sun (2009)
The goal is to gauge behaviour in conditions astronauts would face on a Mars trip.
The Sun (2007)
They said his wide gauge railways wouldn't work.
The Sun (2009)
The flat, white light made it hard to gauge distances.
Eric Newby A BOOK OF LANDS AND PEOPLES (2003)
For the last 30 minutes the pressure gauge on his cylinder showed his gas was running out.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I have gauged these numbers carefully to convey the force involved.
Oxenhorn, Harvey Tuning the Rig: A Journey to the Arctic (1990)
It enabled him to gauge moods and opinions, as well as giving him more freedom to rediscover the original architecture.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
His future hard to gauge.
The Sun (2015)
We know they are able to gauge local conditions, that they don't like rain and wind.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The importance of a good one can be gauged by the fact that there are now many people who prepareCVs for other people as a business.
Tondeur, Keith Say Goodbye to Debt (1994)
The narrow gauge railway, which opened more than ten years ago, was closed yesterday while an independent investigation is held.
The Sun (2009)
A gauge comparing the number of companies reporting higher output with those suffering declines has reached 33, the best reading the survey has recorded.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
gauge
British English: gauge /ɡeɪdʒ/ NOUN
A gauge is a device that measures the amount or quantity of something and shows the amount measured.
...temperature gauges.
American English: gauge
Arabic: مِقْياس
Brazilian Portuguese: instrumento medidor
Chinese: 标准尺
Croatian: mjerač
Czech: měřidlo
Danish: måleapparat
Dutch: meetinstrument
European Spanish: indicador
Finnish: mittari
French: jauge
German: Messgerät
Greek: μετρητής
Italian: calibro
Japanese: 計器
Korean: 게이지
Norwegian: måler
Polish: wskaźnik
European Portuguese: instrumento medidor
Romanian: aparat de măsură
Russian: измеритель
Latin American Spanish: indicador medidor
Swedish: mätare
Thai: เครื่องวัด
Turkish: ölçek
Ukrainian: вимірювальний прилад
Vietnamese: máy đo
British English: gauge /ɡeɪdʒ/ VERB
If you gauge something, you measure it or judge it.
He gauged the wind speed.
American English: gauge
Arabic: يُعاَيرُ
Brazilian Portuguese: calcular
Chinese: 测量
Croatian: mjeriti
Czech: odhadnout
Danish: måle
Dutch: meten
European Spanish: calcular conjeturar
Finnish: mitata
French: jauger
German: messen
Greek: μετρώ
Italian: valutare
Japanese: 測る
Korean: 측정하다
Norwegian: måle
Polish: zmierzyć
European Portuguese: calcular
Romanian: a măsura
Russian: измерять
Latin American Spanish: calcular
Swedish: mäta
Thai: วัด
Turkish: ölçmek
Ukrainian: вимірювати
Vietnamese: ước lượng
All related terms of 'gauge'
air gauge
a gauge for measuring air pressure
gas gauge
an instrument used to indicate the level of petrol contained in a fuel tank , esp in a motor vehicle
oil gauge
a device which indicates whether levels of lubricant in a vehicle or machine are high or low
broad gauge
a railway track with a greater distance between the lines than the standard gauge of 56 1 ⁄ 2 inches (about 1.44 metres ) used now by most mainline railway systems
depth gauge
a device attached to a drill bit to prevent the hole from exceeding a predetermined depth
dial gauge
something that provides an indication , esp of trends
fuel gauge
an instrument in a vehicle that indicates how much fuel remains
gauge boson
a boson that mediates the interaction between elementary particles . There are several types: photons for electromagnetic interactions, W and Z intermediate vector bosons for weak interactions, and gravitons for gravitational interactions
plug gauge
an accurately machined plug used for checking the diameter of a hole
rail gauge
to measure or determine the amount, quantity, size, condition, etc, of
rain gauge
an instrument for measuring rainfall or snowfall , consisting of a cylinder covered by a funnel-like lid
ring gauge
a ring having an internal diameter of a specified size used for checking the diameter of a cylindrical object or part
slip gauge
a very accurately ground block of hardened steel used to measure a gap with close accuracy : used mainly in tool-making and inspection
test gauge
a measuring instrument that is used in the testing of equipment and in laboratory testing
tide-gauge
a gauge used to measure extremes or the present level of tidal movement
tyre gauge
a device used to measure the pressure of vehicle tyres
water gauge
an instrument that indicates the presence or the quantity of water in a tank , reservoir , or boiler feed
wheel gauge
the distance between two wheels on the same axle of a vehicle
wind gauge
a scale on a gun sight indicating the amount of deflection necessary to allow for windage
wire gauge
a flat plate with slots in which standard wire sizes can be measured
Bourdon gauge
a type of aneroid pressure gauge consisting of a flattened curved tube attached to a pointer that moves around a dial . As the pressure in the tube increases the tube tends to straighten and the pointer indicates the applied pressure
feeler gauge
a thin metal strip of known thickness used to measure a narrow gap or to set a gap between two parts
gauge theory
a type of theory of elementary particles designed to explain the strong, weak , and electromagnetic interactions in terms of exchange of virtual particles
height gauge
an object used to measure the height of somebody or something, for example to measure the height of people for medical purposes
narrow gauge
a railway track with a smaller distance between the lines than the standard gauge of 56 1 ⁄ 2 in
petrol gauge
a gauge that indicates the amount of petrol left in the tank of a vehicle
strain gauge
a device for measuring strain in a machine or other structure, usually consisting of a metal filament that is attached to it and receives the same strain. The strain can be measured by the change in the electrical properties of the filament
vacuum gauge
any of a number of instruments for measuring pressures below atmospheric pressure
gasoline gauge
an instrument used to indicate the level of petrol contained in a fuel tank , esp in a motor vehicle
gauge reaction
Your reaction to something that has happened or something that you have experienced is what you feel , say , or do because of it.
pressure gauge
any instrument for measuring fluid pressure
standard gauge
a railway track with a distance of 4 ft 8 1 ⁄ 2 in. (1.435 m ) between the lines; used on most railways
micrometer gauge
any of various instruments or devices for the accurate measurement of distances or angles
perforation gauge
a graduated scale for measuring perforations and roulettes of postage stamps
temperature gauge
a device which shows the temperature or heat of something
Bourdon-tube gauge
an instrument for measuring the pressure of gases or liquids, consisting of a semicircular or coiled , flexible metal tube attached to a gauge that records the degree to which the tube is straightened by the pressure of the gas or liquid inside
narrow-gauge line
a railway track with a smaller distance between the lines than the standard gauge of 56 1 ⁄ 2 in
American wire gauge
American wire gauge is a measure of wire thickness .