measure
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Middle English mesure, from French mesure, from Latin mēnsūra (“a measuring, rule, something to measure by”), from mēnsus, past participle of mētīrī (“to measure, mete”). Displaced native Middle English mǣte, mete (“measure”) (n.) (from Old English met (“measure”), compare Old English mitta (“a measure”)), Middle English ameten, imeten (“to measure”) (from Old English āmetan, ġemetan "to mete, measure), Middle English hof, hoof (“measure, reason”) (from Old Norse hōf (“measure, reason”)), Old English mǣþ (“measure, degree”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
measure (plural measures)
- The quantity, size, weight, distance or capacity of a substance compared to a designated standard.
- An (unspecified) quantity or capacity :
- a measure of salt
- 2005, J Coarguo, Hávamál: The Words of the High One a Personal Interpretation:
- but there is never found a foolish man who knows the measure of his stomach
- The precise designated distance between two objects or points.
- The act of measuring.
- A musical designation consisting of all notes and or rests delineated by two vertical bars; an equal and regular division of the whole of a composition.
- 1922, Michael Arlen, chapter 2/2/2, “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days[1]:
- They danced on silently, softly. Their feet played tricks to the beat of the tireless measure, that exquisitely asinine blare which is England's punishment for having lost America.
- 1922, Michael Arlen, chapter 2/2/2, “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days[1]:
- A rule, ruler or measuring stick.
- A tactic, strategy or piece of legislation.
- He took drastic measures to halt inflation.
- (mathematics) A function that assigns a non-negative number to a given set following the mathematical nature that is common among length, volume, probability and the like.
- An indicator; Something used to assess some property.
- The average price of basic household goods is a measure for inflation.
- Honesty is the true measure of a man.
- 2011 October 23, Phil McNulty, “Man Utd 1 - 6 Man City”, BBC Sport:
- City were also the victors on that occasion 56 years ago, winning 5-0, but this visit was portrayed as a measure of their progress against the 19-time champions.
Synonyms[edit]
Hyponyms[edit]
- (mathematics): positive measure, signed measure, complex measure, Borel measure, σ-finite measure, complete measure, Lebesgue measure
Translations[edit]
quantity etc. compared to a standard
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unspecified quantity or capacity
designated distance
act of measuring
musical designation
ruler, measuring stick
tactic or strategy
special mathematical function
indicator
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Verb[edit]
measure (third-person singular simple present measures, present participle measuring, simple past and past participle measured)
- To ascertain the quantity of a unit of material via calculated comparison with respect to a standard.
- 2013 June 1, “Towards the end of poverty”, The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 11:
- But poverty’s scourge is fiercest below $1.25 (the average of the 15 poorest countries’ own poverty lines, measured in 2005 dollars and adjusted for differences in purchasing power): people below that level live lives that are poor, nasty, brutish and short.
- We measured the temperature with a thermometer.
- You should measure the angle with a spirit level.
- 2013 June 1, “Towards the end of poverty”, The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 11:
- To estimate the unit size of something.
- I measure that at 10 centimetres.
- To obtain or set apart; to mark in even increments.
- (rare) To traverse, cross, pass along; to travel over.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
ascertain the quantity of a unit
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estimate the unit size
obtain or set apart
External links[edit]
- measure in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- measure in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- measure at OneLook Dictionary Search
