gauge

Etymology

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 *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”). Doublet of gallows.

noun

1. A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
   1780, Edmund Burke, speech at The Guildhall, in Bristol the gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt
   The record of philosophy vis-à-vis silence is generally dismal, as good a gauge as any to its overall failure. 2008 Spring/Summer, John Zerzan, “Silence”, in Green Anarchy, number 25
2. An act of measuring.
3. An estimate.
4. Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things
5. A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes.
6. (rail transport) Ellipsis of track gauge.
   It was Locke who concisely won the argument for a standardised gauge of 4ft 8½ inches over Brunel's 7ft 0 ¼in preference. […] Today, over 60% of the world's railways use that gauge. August 23 2023, David E Norris, “Joseph Locke: a railway injustice...”, in RAIL, number 990, page 57
7. (rail transport) Ellipsis of loading gauge.
8. (mathematics, mathematical analysis) A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space.
9. (knitting) The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance.
10. (nautical) Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind.
    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.
11. (nautical) The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
12. (plastering) The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to make it set more quickly.
13. 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.
14. (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.
15. (US, slang, by extension) A shotgun (synecdoche for 12 gauge shotgun, the most common chambering for combat and hunting shotguns).
    I'm talking about cocking a gauge in between your eyes. 1992, “A Nigga Witta Gun”, in The Chronic, performed by Dr. Dre, Death Row Records
    I'm tryin to find ways to cope / But I ain't fuckin' round with the gauge or a rope 1996, “Illusions”, in Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom, performed by Cypress Hill
    It happens everyday don't make me grab the gauge / Dangerously I play, I best to kill with the gauge / And put ya body in the back of that grey Chevrolet 2000, “Grab The Gauge”, in Underground Vol. 3: Kings of Memphis, performed by Three 6 Mafia
16. A tunnel-like ear piercing consisting of a hollow ring embedded in the lobe.
    Jenni didn't really look as though she fit in with the rest of the girls here, she had a nose piercing and angel bites, her long curly dark brown hair with red highlights was pulled back exposing gauges and many other ear piercings and a tattoo […] 2013, Destiny Patterson, Samantha Beckworth, Jennifer Proctor, Arose, page 150
17. (slang, uncountable) Cannabis.
    […] smoking gauge was a new phenomenon to Himes: “When I looked up after turning the corner, all the grimy facades seemed to be a blaze of bright colors, gold, scarlet, blue, green, like an array of peacocks. […] 1971, Black Creation, volumes 3-6, page 53
    When we settled, he said, “You've been smoking gauge, haven't you?” 2000, Cynthia Palmer, Michael Horowitz, Sisters of the Extreme

verb

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