Meaning and Origin
What does the name Gauge mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
User Submitted Origins
User Submitted Meanings
- A submission from Georgia, U.S. says the name Gauge means "Swaggiest person alive" and is of Geez origin.
- According to a user from Texas, U.S., the name Gauge means "Never gives up powerful and smart".
- To measure or determine with a gauge.
- To measure or to ascertain the contents or the capacity of, as of a pipe, barrel, or keg.
- [Mech] To measure the dimensions of, or to test the accuracy of the form of, as of a part of a gunlock."The vanes nicely gauged on each side." [Derham.]
- To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it, as cloth or a garment.
- To measure the capacity, character, or ability of; to estimate; to judge of."You shall not gauge me By what we do to-night." [Shak.]
Etymology: OF. gaugier, F. jauger, cf. OF. gauge gauge, measuring rod, F. jauge; of uncertain origin; perh. fr. an assumed L. qualificare to determine the qualities of a thing (see Qualify); but cf. also F. jalon a measuring stake in surveying, and E. gallon
- A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard."This plate must be a gauge to file your worm and groove to equal breadth by." [Moxon.]"There is not in our hands any fixed gauge of minds." [I. Taylor.]
- Measure; dimensions; estimate."The gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt." [Burke.]
- [Mach. & Manuf] Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the dimensions or forms of things; a templet or template; as, a button maker's gauge .
- [Physics] Any instrument or apparatus for measuring the state of a phenomenon, or for ascertaining its numerical elements at any moment; -- usually applied to some particular instrument; as, a rain gauge; a steam gauge.
- [Naut]
- Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind; as, a vessel has the weather gauge of another when on the windward side of it, and the lee gauge when on the lee side of it.
- The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
- Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind; as, a vessel has the weather gauge of another when on the windward side of it, and the lee gauge when on the lee side of it.
- The distance between the rails of a railway.
- [Plastering] The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to accelerate its setting.
- [Building] That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of such shingles, slates, or tiles.
Note: ☞ The standard gauge of railroads in most countries is four feet, eight and one half inches. Wide, or broad gauge, in the United States, is six feet; in England, seven feet, and generally any gauge exceeding standard gauge. Any gauge less than standard gauge is now called narrow gauge. It varies from two feet to three feet six inches.
Etymology: Written also gage
- A measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.
- Diameter of a tube or gun barrel
- The thickness of wire
- The distance between the rails of a railway or between the wheels of a train
- Accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared
- Mix in specific proportions ("gauge plaster")
- Adapt to a specified measurement ("gauge the instruments")
- Measure precisely and against a standard ("the wire is gauged")
- Judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)
- Determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation ("gauge the wine barrels")
- Rub to a uniform size ("gauge bricks")
From Middle English gage, gaugen, from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French gauger (compare Modern French jauger from Old French jaugier), from gauge (“gauging rod”), from Frankish *galga (“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”).
- A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
- An act of measuring.
- Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things
- A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes.
- (rail transport) The distance between the rails of a railway.
- (mathematics, analysis) A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space.
- (knitting) The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance.
- (nautical) Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind.
- A vessel has the weather of another when on the windward side of it, and the lee when on the lee side of it.
- (nautical) The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
- (plastering) The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to make it set more quickly.
- That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of such shingles, slates, or tiles.
- (firearms) A unit of measurement which describes how many spheres of bore diameter of a shotgun can be had from one pound of lead; 12 gauge is roughly equivalent to .75 caliber.
- (slang, by extension) A shotgun (synecdoche for 12 gauge shotgun, the most common chambering for combat and hunting shotguns).
- A tunnel-like ear piercing consisting of a hollow ring embedded in the lobe.
gauge was also found in the following language(s): Old French