square
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Old French esquarre (French équerre), from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, from Latin quadra (“square”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (UK) IPA: /skwɛə(ɹ)/, /skwɛː(ɹ)/, enPR: skwâr, X-SAMPA: /skwE@(r\)/, /skwE:(r\)/
- (US) IPA: /skwɛɚ/, enPR: skwâr, X-SAMPA: /skwE@'/
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Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛə(r)
Noun[edit]
square (plural squares)
- Any simple object with four nearly straight and nearly equal sides meeting at nearly right angles.
- An L- or T-shaped tool used to place objects or draw lines at right angles.
- There are so many uses for the square, in fact, that a new model will usually come complete with a booklet enumerating its applications. - The Carpenter's Square
- An open space in a town, not necessarily square in shape, often containing trees, seating and other features pleasing to the eye.
- A cell in a grid.
- You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.
- (geometry) A polygon with four sides of equal length and four angles of 90 degrees; a regular quadrilateral whose angles are all 90 degrees.
- (Can we date this quote?) Kazimir Malevich
- I took refuge in the square form and exhibited a picture which consisted of nothing more than a black square on a white field.
- (Can we date this quote?) Kazimir Malevich
- (mathematics) The second power of a number, value, term or expression.
- 64 is the square of 8.
- (military) A body of troops drawn up in a square formation.
- 1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society 2010, p. 144:
- After disastrous attempts to break the Russian squares, during which, Longworth recounts, ‘the best and the bravest of the warriors fell victim to their own rashness’, the Circassians likewise changed their tactics.
- 1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society 2010, p. 144:
- (slang) A socially conventional person; typically associated with the 1950s
- 1957, Elvis Presley, “Jailhouse Rock” (song):
- The sad sack was a sitting on a block of stone / Way over in the corner weepin' all alone. / The warden said, hey, buddy, don't you be no square / If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair.
- Why do you always wear a tie? Don't be such a square!
- 1957, Elvis Presley, “Jailhouse Rock” (song):
- (UK) The symbol # on a telephone; hash.
- Enter your account number followed by a square.
- (cricket) The central area of a cricket field, containing several pitches laid out next to one another - only one being used at a time.
- An ideal playing area is roughly circular in shape with a central area, the cricket square, measuring 27.44 metres by 27.44 metres and boundaries 45.75 metres from the sides of the square.
- (real estate jargon) A unit of measurement of area, equal to a 10 foot by 10 foot square, ie. 100 square feet or roughly 9.3 square metres. Used in real estate for the size of a house or its rooms, though progressively being replaced by square metres in metric countries such as Australia.
- 2006: Just as the basic unit of real estate measurement across the world is the square ... — Macquarie Bank (Australia), press release Macquarie releases Real Estate Market Outlook 2006 - "The World Squared", 21 June 2006 [1]
- 2007: The house is very large and open and boasts 39 squares of living space plus over 13 squares of decking area on 3 sides and 17 squares of garage and workshop downstairs. — Your Estate advertisement for Grindelwald Tasmania [2]
- (roofing) A unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m2) of roof area.
- (North America) A dessert cut into rectangular pieces, or a piece of such a dessert.
- (academia) A mortarboard
- (colloquial, US) A square meal.
- Even when times were tough, we got three squares a day.
Synonyms[edit]
- (polygon): (rare) tetragon
- (L-shaped tool): steel square, framing square, carpenter's square
- (square): piazza, plaza
- (# symbol): hash, sharp, (US) pound sign
Derived terms[edit]
Terms derived from the noun "square"
Translations[edit]
object with four nearly equal straight sides meeting at nearly right angles
polygon
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tool
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open space in a town
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a cell in a grid
second power
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slang: socially conventional person
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- symbol on a telephone
central area of a cricket field
unit of one hundred square feet of roof area
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- 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.
Translations to be checked
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Adjective[edit]
square (comparative squarer, superlative squarest)
- Shaped like a square (the polygon).
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, The China Governess[3]:
- The huge square box, parquet-floored and high-ceilinged, had been arranged to display a suite of bedroom furniture designed and made in the halcyon days of the last quarter of the nineteenth century, […].
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, The China Governess[3]:
- At right angles to.
- Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself.
- square metre
- square mile
- Honest; straightforward.
- It may be prison, but at least I'm getting three square meals a day.
- Fair.
- I'm just looking for a square deal on my car repair.
- Even; tied
- 2000 December 16, “Islanders, Devils Make It Tough For Canadian Teams”, Bryan Times:
- The teams were square while at even strength. have to play better than even if we want to win games." said Montreal goalie Jose Theodore
- 2003 April 9, “Lowe Struggles Again In Sox Setback”, Record-Journal:
- But the Jays were square again by the end of the inning, as Myers hit a 2-and-0 pitch into the left-center field seats
- 2003 November 24, “Els's mates get better with time”, The Age, Melbourne, Vic.:
- The sides were square to the 14th hole when Goosen took birdie,
- 2006 September 23, Jim McCabe, “As usual, Americans trailing after first day”, The Columbus Dispatch:
- In each of the last three afternoon foursomes, the Americans were square through 15, but could only come in with two halves and a loss.
- The sides were square at the end of the half.
- 2000 December 16, “Islanders, Devils Make It Tough For Canadian Teams”, Bryan Times:
- (slang) Socially conventional; boring.
- (cricket) In line with the batsman's popping crease.
- Correctly aligned with respect to something else.
Synonyms[edit]
- (honest, straightforward): above board, on the level, on the square, on the up and up, straight
- (socially conventional): bourgeois
Derived terms[edit]
Terms derived from the adjective "square"
Translations[edit]
shaped like a square
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at right angles to
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in the names of units
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socially conventional
- 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]
square (third-person singular simple present squares, present participle squaring, simple past and past participle squared)
- (transitive) To adjust so as to align with or place at a right angle to something else.
- The casting was mounted on a milling machine so that its sides could be squared.
- To resolve.
- John can square this question up for us.
- These results just don't square.
- To adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something.
- I cannot square the results of the experiment with my hypothesis.
- (transitive, mathematics) Of a value, term, or expression, to multiply by itself; to raise to the second power.
- (transitive) To draw, with a pair of compasses and a straightedge only, a square with the same area as.
- square the circle
- (soccer) To make a short low pass sideways across the pitch
- 2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, BBC Sport:
- First, former Toffee Mikel Arteta sent Walcott racing clear but instead of shooting he squared towards Ramsey, who was foiled by Tony Hibbert.
- 2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, BBC Sport:
- (archaic) To take opposing sides; to quarrel.
- To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to suit; to fit.
- Cowper
- No works shall find acceptance […] that square not truly with the Scripture plan.
- Cowper
- (obsolete) To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
- Shakespeare
- Are you such fools / To square for this?
- Shakespeare
- To take a boxing attitude; often with up or off.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Dickens to this entry?)
Derived terms[edit]
terms derived from the verb "square"
Synonyms[edit]
- (to multiply by itself) ²
Translations[edit]
to adjust something so that aligns with or is a right angle to something else
to resolve
to adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something
math: to multiply by itself
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See also[edit]
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From English square
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA: /skwaʁ/
Noun[edit]
square m (plural squares)
References[edit]
- "square" in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Anagrams[edit]
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