Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old North French

gauge

1 noun
     
gauge
NEW! See related topics: WEAPONSMEASUREMENTTRAINS, RAILWAYS
gauge1 also gage American English [countable]
1

instrument

TM an instrument for measuring the size or amount of something
fuel/temperature/pressure etc gauge
The petrol gauge is still on full.
2

width/thickness

a measurement of the width or thickness of something such as wire or metal:
a 27 gauge needle
heavy gauge black polythene
3

a gauge of something

something that helps you make a judgment about a person or situation:
Retail sales are a gauge of consumer spending.
The tests will give parents a gauge of how their children are doing.
4

railway

TTT the distance between the lines of a railway or between the wheels of a train:
broad/narrow gauge (=with more/less than the standard distance between the rails)
5

gun

PMW the width of the barrel of a gun:
a 12-gauge shotgun
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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