gauge

Everyday

1. An instrument that measures and shows an amount, like a fuel gauge, a pressure gauge or a rain gauge. tree →
2. (verb) To measure something exactly. tree →
3. (verb) To judge or guess something, like a person's mood or how far something is. tree →
4. The width or thickness of something, like the distance between railway tracks or the thickness of wire. tree →

In the lessons

In science: a rain gauge collects rain to measure how many millimetres fell; a tyre pressure gauge shows the air in a tyre. In maths and science lessons you read the scale on a gauge carefully. Everyday: «gauge how someone feels». Phrases: «fuel gauge», «rain gauge», «tyre gauge», «gauge the distance».

Examples

• We made a rain gauge from a plastic bottle. tree →
• The fuel gauge shows the tank is nearly empty. tree →
• Dad checked the tyres with a pressure gauge. tree →
• It's hard to gauge how deep the water is. tree →
• She tried to gauge if her teacher was cross. tree →
• The toy train runs on narrow-gauge tracks. tree →
• Read the gauge to the nearest mark on the scale. tree →

Note

Tricky spelling: g-a-u-g-e, said like «gage» (rhymes with page). Not «guage» — a common mistake. American English sometimes spells it «gage» in technical use. Verb: gauged, gauging.