gauge

/ˈgāj/

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

noun

  1. a measurement (as of linear dimension) according to some standard or system: such as

  2. the distance between the rails of a railroad

  3. 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

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

verb

  1. to measure precisely the size, dimensions, or other measurable quantity of

  2. to determine the capacity or contents of

  3. estimate, judge

noun

  1. a measurement (as of linear dimension) according to some standard or system: such as

  2. the distance between the rails of a railroad

  3. 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