gauge

C2+ Topic:Tools, Machines & Construction

US /ɡeɪdʒ/ UK /ɡeɪdʒ/ See IPA manual

Homophones

gage /ɡeɪdʒ/

Meanings

1

noun
an instrument for measuring; to estimate or measure

He checked the gauge to see how much fuel remained.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an instrument for... measure estimate assess calculate reckon appraise meter

Word family

Derived forms gaugeablegauger

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

micrometer gauge
a precision measuring instrument for determining very small distances or dimensions

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Old North French 'gauge', a variant of Old French 'jauge' ('measuring rod'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Frankish '*galga' ('rod, pole').

gauge Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# gauge

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɡeɪdʒ/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡeɪdʒ/

## Meanings
1. an instrument for measuring; to estimate or measure

## Examples
- He checked the gauge to see how much fuel remained.

## Synonyms
- measure
- estimate
- assess
- calculate
- reckon
- appraise
- meter

## Derived Forms
- gaugeable
- gauger

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: gauge

## Etymology
From Old North French 'gauge', a variant of Old French 'jauge' ('measuring rod'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Frankish '*galga' ('rod, pole').

## AI Etymology
Gauge comes from Old North French 'gauge', a variant of Old French 'jauge' ('measuring rod'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Frankish '*galga' ('rod, pole'). The history is deliberately cautious: the proposed comparison is useful for orientation, but the wording leaves room for uncertainty rather than forcing a false certainty. In present use, it is used as a noun and verb meaning "an instrument for measuring; to estimate or measure", so the historical material remains connected with the current sense rather than standing as bare ancestry. The wider English family includes derivatives such as gaugeable and gauger, showing how the same historical material continues to organize neighboring vocabulary. The named historical forms include Old French gauge, keeping the history tied to concrete forms rather than a loose resemblance. Its semantic neighborhood includes measure, estimate, assess, and calculate, locating the modern specialization without adding a new origin story.

## Topics
- Tools, Machines & Construction

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