• Measure

    Pronunciation

    • IPA: /ˈmɛʒə/
    • Rhymes: -ɛʒə(r)
    • Hyphenation: mea + sure

    Origin

    From 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").

    Full definition of measure

    Noun

    measure

    (plural measures)
    1. The quantity, size, weight, distance or capacity of a substance compared to a designated standard.
    2. An (unspecified) quantity or capacity.
      • 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
      • 2013, Daniel Taylor, Danny Welbeck leads England's rout of Moldova but hit by Ukraine ban (in The Guardian, 6 September 2013)http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/06/england-moldova-world-cup-qualifier-matchreportIt ended up being a bittersweet night for England, full of goals to send the crowd home happy, buoyed by the news that Montenegro and Poland had drawn elsewhere in Group H but also with a measure of regret about what happened to Danny Welbeck and what it means for Roy Hodgson's team going into a much more difficult assignment against Ukraine.
    3. a measure of salt
    4. The precise designated distance between two objects or points.
    5. The dimensions or capacity of anything, reckoned according to some standard; size or extent, determined and stated.The tailor took my measure for a coat.
      • Bible, Job xi. 9The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
    6. The act of measuring.
    7. 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.
    8. (music) The group or grouping of beats, caused by the regular recurrence of accented beats.
    9. (dancing) A regulated movement, especially in a slow and stately dance, corresponding to the time in which the accompanying music is performed.
    10. (poetry) The manner of ordering and combining the quantities, or long and short syllables; meter; rhythm; hence, a metrical foot.a poem in iambic measure
    11. A rule, ruler or measuring stick.
    12. A tactic, strategy or piece of legislation.
      • 2013-06-08, Obama goes troll-hunting, The solitary, lumbering trolls of Scandinavian mythology would sometimes be turned to stone by exposure to sunlight. Barack Obama is hoping that several measures announced on June 4th will have a similarly paralysing effect on their modern incarnation, the patent troll.
    13. He took drastic measures to halt inflation.
    14. (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.
    15. (arithmetic, dated) A number which is contained in a given number a number of times without a remainder; a divisor.the greatest common measure of two or more numbers
    16. (geology) A bed or stratum.coal measures; lead measures
    17. An indicator; something used to assess some property.
      • 2011, October 23, Phil McNulty, Man Utd 1-6 Man City, 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.
    18. The average price of basic household goods is a measure for inflation.   Honesty is the true measure of a man.

    Synonyms

    • (musical designation) bar
    • (precise designated distance) metric

    Hyponyms

    Verb

    1. To ascertain the quantity of a unit of material via calculated comparison with respect to a standard.
      • 2013-06-01, Towards the end of poverty, 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.
    2. We measured the temperature with a thermometer.   You should measure the angle with a spirit level.
    3. To estimate the unit size of something.
      I measure that at 10 centimetres.
    4. To judge, value, or appraise.
      • John MiltonGreat are thy works, Jehovah, infinite
        Thy power! what thought can measure thee?
    5. To obtain or set apart; to mark in even increments.
    6. (rare) To traverse, cross, pass along; to travel over.
      • William ShakespeareA true devoted pilgrim is not weary
        To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps.
    7. To adjust by a rule or standard.
      • Jeremy TaylorTo secure a contented spirit, measure your desires by your fortunes, not your fortunes by your desires.
    8. To allot or distribute by measure; to set off or apart by measure; often with out or off.
      • Bible, Matthew vii. 2With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
      • AddisonThat portion of eternity which is called time, measured out by the sun.

    Derived terms

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