Square

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /skwɛə(ɹ)/, /skwɛː(ɹ)/, enPR: skwâr
• US IPA: /skwɛɚ/, enPR: skwâr
• Rhymes: -ɛə(r)

Origin

From Old French esquarre (French équerre), from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, from Latin quadra ("square").

Full definition of square

Noun

1. Any simple object with four nearly straight and nearly equal sides meeting at nearly right angles.
• Sir Walter ScottHe bolted his food down his capacious throat in squares of three inches.
2. 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
3. An open space in a town, not necessarily square in shape, often containing trees, seating and other features pleasing to the eye.
• AddisonThe statue of Alexander VII. stands in the large square of the town.
• unknown date You're not in Wisconsin, Dave. The big story isn't about a cow wandering into the town square.
4. A cell in a grid.You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.
5. (geometry) A polygon with four sides of equal length and four angles of 90 degrees; a regular quadrilateral whose angles are all 90 degrees.
• unknown dateI took refuge in the square form and exhibited a picture which consisted of nothing more than a black square on a white field.
6. (mathematics) The second power of a number, value, term or expression.64 is the square of 8.
7. (military) A body of troops drawn up in a square formation.
• Shakespearethe brave squares of war
• 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.
8. (slang) A socially conventional person; typically associated with the 1950s
• 1957, Jailhouse Rock, 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.
9. Why do you always wear a tie? Don't be such a square!
10. (British) The symbol # on a telephone; hash.Enter your account number followed by a square.
11. (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.
12. (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 http://www.macquarie.com.au/au/about_macquarie/media_centre/20060621.htm2007: 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 http://www.yourestate.com.au/property_12753.php
13. (roofing) A unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m2) of roof area.
14. (North America) A dessert cut into rectangular pieces, or a piece of such a dessert.
15. (academia) A mortarboard
16. (colloquial, US) A square meal.''Even when times were tough, we got three squares a day.
17. A pane of glass.
18. (printing) A certain number of lines, forming a portion of a column, nearly square; used chiefly in reckoning the prices of advertisements in newspapers.
19. (archaic) Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.
• HookerThey of Galatia were much more out of square.
• ShakespeareI have not kept my square.
20. The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
• DrydenWe live not on the square with such as these.
21. (astrology) The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.
22. (dated) The act of squaring, or quarrelling; a quarrel.
23. The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.

Synonyms

• (polygon) rare tetragon
• (L-shaped tool) steel square, framing square, carpenter's square
• (square) piazza, plaza
• (# symbol) hash, sharp, US pound sign

Derived terms

Adjective

1. Shaped like a square (the polygon).
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 1, 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, ....
2. Forming a right angle, especially (nautical) at right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.a square corner
3. Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself.
   square metre
   square mile
4. Honest; straightforward.square dealing
5. Fair.
   I'm just looking for a square deal on my car repair.
6. Even; tiedto make or leave the accounts square
• 2000, December 16, Islanders, Devils Make It Tough For Canadian Teams, 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, 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 sides were square to the 14th hole when Goosen took birdie,
• 2006, September 23, Jim McCabe , As usual, Americans trailing after first day, 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.
7. The sides were square at the end of the half.
8. (conventional)(slang) Socially conventional; boring.
9. (cricket) In line with the batsman's popping crease.
10. Correctly aligned with respect to something else.
11. hearty; vigorous
    It may be prison, but at least I'm getting three square meals a day.
• Beaumont and FletcherBy Heaven, square eaters. More meat, I say.
12. Having a shape broad for the height, with angular rather than curving outlines.a man of a square frame

Synonyms

• (honest, straightforward) above board, on the level, on the square, on the up and up, straight
• (socially conventional) bourgeois

Derived terms

Verb

1. (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.
2. To resolve.John can square this question up for us.These results just don't square.
3. To adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something.I cannot square the results of the experiment with my hypothesis.''to square our actions by the opinions of others
• MiltonSquare my trial
  To my proportioned strength.
4. (transitive, mathematics) Of a value, term, or expression, to multiply by itself; to raise to the second power.
5. (transitive) To draw, with a pair of compasses and a straightedge only, a square with the same area as.square the circle
6. (soccer) To make a short low pass sideways across the pitch
• 2011, December 10, David Ornstein, Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton, First, former Toffee Mikel Arteta sent Walcott racing clear but instead of shooting he squared towards Ramsey, who was foiled by Tony Hibbert.
7. (archaic) To take opposing sides; to quarrel.
8. To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to suit; to fit.
• CowperNo works shall find acceptance ... that square not truly with the Scripture plan.
9. (obsolete) To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
• ShakespeareAre you such fools
  To square for this?
10. To take a boxing attitude; often with up or off.
11. To form with four sides and four right angles.
12. To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces.to square mason's work
13. To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.
14. (astrology) To hold a quartile position respecting.
• Creechthe icy Goat and Crab that square the Scales
15. (nautical) To place at right angles with the keel.to square the yards

Derived terms

Synonyms

• to multiply by itself ²