measure
UK /ˈmɛʒ.ə/ · US /ˈmɛʒ.ɚ/ noun, verb
Forms measures measuring measured
- noun (obsolete) Moderation, temperance.
- noun A limit that cannot be exceeded; a bound. (Now chiefly in set phrases.) “Mom's rage has no measure.”
- noun An (unspecified) portion or quantity.
- noun (now chiefly cooking) A receptacle or vessel of a standard size, capacity etc. as used to deal out specific quantities of some substance. “a measure of salt”
- noun A standard against which something can be judged; a way of measuring it; a criterion for it. “By what measure should we judge the performance of our teachers?”
- noun Any of various standard units of capacity. “The villagers paid a tithe of a thousand measures of corn.”
- noun A unit of measurement.
- noun The size of someone or something, as ascertained by measuring. (Now chiefly in make to measure.)
- verb (transitive) To ascertain the quantity of a unit of material via calculated comparison with respect to a standard. “We measured the temperature with a thermometer.”
- verb (stative) To be of (a certain size), to have (a certain measurement). “The window measured two square feet.”
- verb To estimate the unit size of something. “I measure that at 10 centimetres.”
- verb To judge, value, or appraise.
- verb To obtain or set apart; to mark in even increments.
- verb (rare) To traverse, cross, pass along; to travel over.
- verb To adjust by a rule or standard.
- verb (often with out or off) To allot or distribute by measure; to set off or apart by measure; often with.
Synonyms
metric bar take dimension step quantity amount bill measurement measuring mensuration standard criterion touchstone meter metre beat cadence measuring stick measuring rod mensurate measure out quantify evaluate valuate assess appraise value
Etymology
From Middle English mesure, from Old French mesure, from Latin mēnsūra (“a measure”), mētior (“to measure”, supine stem in mēns-) + -tūra. Largely displaced native Old English metan ("to measure" whence modern mete) and ġemet (“a measure”). See also -ure.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A standard of dimension; a fixed unit of quantity or extent; an extent or quantity in the fractions or multiples of which anything is estimated and stated; hence, a rule by which anything is adjusted or judged.
- noun An instrument by means of which size or quantity is measured, as a graduated line, rod, vessel, or the like.
- verb To ascertain by use of a measuring instrument; to compute or ascertain the extent, quantity, dimensions, or capacity of, by a certain rule or standard; to take the dimensions of; hence, to estimate; to judge of; to value; to appraise.
- verb To serve as the measure of; as, the thermometer measures changes of temperature.
Etymology [OE. mesure, F. mesure, L. mensura, fr. metiri, mensus, to measure; akin to metrum poetical measure, Gr. meter. Cf. Immense, Mensuration, Mete to measure.]
Etymology [F. mesurer, L. mensurare. See Measure, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “measure”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details