English
measure
Etymology

From Middle English mesure, from Old French mesure, from Latin mēnsūra, from mēnsus, past participle of mētīrī.

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈmɛʒ.ə/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈmɛʒ.ɚ/
  • (regional US) IPA: /ˈmeɪ.ʒɚ/, /ˈmɪ.ʒɚ/
  • (Australia) IPA: /ˈmeʒ.ə/
  • (New Zealand) IPA: /ˈmeɪ.ʒə/
Noun

measure (plural measures)

  1. A prescribed quantity or extent.
    1. (obsolete) Moderation, temperance. [13th]
      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Jeremiah 30: ↗:
        I will correct thee in measure, and will not leaue thee altogether vnpunished.
    2. A limit that cannot be exceeded; a bound. (Now chiefly in set phrases.) [from 14th c.]
      • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
        Full to the utmost measure of what bliss Human desires can seek or apprehend.
    3. An (unspecified) portion or quantity. [from 16th c.]
  2. The act or result of measuring.
    1. (now, chiefly, cooking) A receptacle or vessel of a standard size, capacity etc. as used to deal out specific quantities of some substance. [from 14th c.]
      a measure of salt
    2. A standard against which something can be judged; a criterion. [from 14th c.]
      Honesty is the true measure of a man.
    3. Any of various standard units of capacity. [from 14th c.]
      The villagers paid a tithe of a thousand measures of corn.
    4. A unit of measurement. [from 14th c.]
    5. The size of someone or something, as ascertained by measuring. (Now chiefly in make to measure.) [from 14th c.]
      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Job 11:9 ↗:
        The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
    6. (now, rare) The act or process of measuring. [from 14th c.]
    7. A ruler, measuring stick, or graduated tape used to take measurements. [from 16th c.]
    8. (geology) A bed or stratum. [from 17th c.]
      coal measures; lead measures
    9. (mathematics, now, rare) A number which is contained in a given number a number of times without a remainder; a divisor or factor. [from 16th c.]
      the greatest common measure of two or more numbers
    10. (mathematics, measure theory) A function which obeys a particular set of formal conditions, created to generalize and rigorize the notions of length, volume and probability. Formally, a non-negative, countably additive set function on a sigma-algebra; see w:Measure (mathematics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia. [from 20th c.]
  3. Metrical rhythm.
    1. (now, archaic) A melody. [from 14th c.]
    2. (now, archaic) A dance. [from 15th c.]
      • 1808 February 21, Walter Scott, “Canto Fifth. The Court.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC ↗, stanza XII (Lochinvar. Lady Heron’s Song.), page 259 ↗:
        He took her soft hand, ere her mother could bar,— / "Now tread we a measure!" said young Lochinvar.
    3. (poetry) The manner of ordering and combining the quantities, or long and short syllables; meter; rhythm; hence, a metrical foot. [from 15th c.]
      a poem in iambic measure
    4. (music) 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; a bar. [from 17th c.]
  4. A course of action.
    1. (in plural) Actions designed to achieve some purpose; plans. [from 17th c.]
    2. A piece of legislation. [from 18th c.]
Synonyms
  • (musical designation) bar
  • (unit of measurement) metric
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

measure (measures, present participle measuring; simple past and past participle measured)

  1. To ascertain the quantity of a unit of material via calculated comparison with respect to a standard.
    We measured the temperature with a thermometer.   You should measure the angle with a spirit level.
  2. (stative) To be of (a certain size), to have (a certain measurement)
    The window measured two square feet.
  3. To estimate the unit size of something.
    I measure that at 10 centimetres.
  4. To judge, value, or appraise.
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC ↗; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii ↗:
      ſince they meaſure our deſerts so meane,
      That in conceit beare Empires on our ſpeares,
      Affecting thoughts coequall with the cloudes,
      They ſhalbe kept our forced followers,
      Til with their eies they view vs Emperours.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
      Great 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.
    • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene vii]:
      A true devoted pilgrim is not weary / To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps.
    • 1859, Ferna Vale, Natalie; or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds:
      "And for a very sensible reason; there never was but one like her; or, that is, I have always thought so until to-day," replied the tar, glancing toward Natalie; "for my old eyes have seen pretty much everything they have got in this little world. Ha! I should like to see the inch of land or water that my foot hasn't measured."
  7. To adjust by a rule or standard.
    • 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC ↗:
      To secure a contented spirit, you must measure your desires by your fortune and condition, not your fortunes by your desires
  8. (often with out or off) To allot or distribute by measure; to set off or apart by measure; often with.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Matthew 7:2 ↗:
      With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
    • 1711 September 12 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “SATURDAY, September 1, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 159; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC ↗:
      That portion of eternity which is called time, measured out by the sun.
      The spelling has been modernized.
  9. (transitive) To regulate or control (one's actions, speech, etc.), as if one were carefully measuring their length or quantity.
Translations Translations Translations Translations

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