gauge

Meanings

Noun

• A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
• An act of measuring.
• An estimate.
• 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.
• The distance between the rails of a railway.
• A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space.
• The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance.
• Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind.
• The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Cannabis.

Verb

• To measure or determine with a gauge; to measure the capacity of.
• To estimate.
• To appraise the character or ability of; to judge of.
• To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it.
• To mix (a quantity of ordinary plaster) with a quantity of plaster of Paris.
• To chip, hew or polish (stones, bricks, etc) to a standard size and/or shape.

Origin

• From Middle English gauge, gaugen, from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French gauger (compare Modern French jauger from Old French jaugier), from gauge, from Frankish *galga ("measuring rod, pole"), from Proto-Germanic *galgô ("pole, stake, cross"), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰAlgʰ-, *ǵʰAlg-. 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"). See gallow.