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gauge

US/ˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/ fairly common slang us
verb (6) noun (5)

verb

1.

judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)

  • “I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds”
Synonyms
2.

rub to a uniform size

  • “gauge bricks”
3.

determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation

  • “gauge the wine barrels”
4.

measure precisely and against a standard

  • “the wire is gauged”
5.

adapt to a specified measurement

  • “gauge the instruments”
6.

mix in specific proportions

  • “gauge plaster”

noun

1.

a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.

Synonyms
2.

accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared

Synonyms
3.

the distance between the rails of a railway or between the wheels of a train

4.

the thickness of wire

5.

Origin

From Middle English gauge, gaugen, from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French gauger (compare Modern French jauger from Old French jaugier), from gauge (“gauging rod”), from Frankish *galgā (“measuring rod, pole”), from Proto-Germanic *galgô (“pole, stake, cross”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰalgʰ-, *ǵʰalg- (“perch, long switch”). Cognate with Old High German galgo, Old Frisian galga, Old English ġealga (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse galgi (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse gelgja (“pole, perch”). Doublet of gallows.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.