square (skwɛə
)
Definitions
noun
- a plane geometric figure having four equal sides and four right angles Compare rectangle , rhombus
- any object, part, or arrangement having this or a similar shape ⇒
a square of carpet
a square on a chess board
- (capital when part of name) an open area in a town, sometimes including the surrounding buildings, which may form a square
- mathematics the product of two equal factors; the second power ⇒
9 is the square of 3, written 3²
- an instrument having two strips of wood, metal, etc, set in the shape of a T or L, used for constructing or testing right angles
- cricket the closely-cut area in the middle of a ground on which wickets are prepared
- a body of soldiers drawn up in the form of a square
- rowing the position of the blade of an oar perpendicular to the surface of the water just before and during a stroke
- informal a person who is old-fashioned in views, customs, appearance, etc
- astrology an aspect of about 90° between two planets, etc See conjunction (sense 5) , opposition (sense 9) , trine (sense 1)
- obsolete a standard, pattern, or rule
- See back to square one
- See on the square
- See out of square
adjective
- being a square in shape
- having or forming one or more right angles or being at right angles to something
- square or rectangular in section ⇒
a square bar
- (prenominal) denoting a measure of area of any shape ⇒
a circle of four square feet
- (immediately postpositive) denoting a square having a specified length on each side ⇒
a board four feet square contains 16 square feet
- (prenominal) denoting a measure of area of any shape ⇒
- fair and honest (esp in the phrase a square deal)
- straight, even, or level ⇒
a square surface
- cricket at right angles to the wicket ⇒
square leg
- sport in a straight line across the pitch ⇒
a square pass
- nautical (of the sails of a square-rigger) set at right angles to the keel
- informal old-fashioned in views, customs, appearance, etc
- stocky or sturdy ⇒
square shoulders
- (postpositive) having no remaining debts or accounts to be settled
- (of a horse's gait) sound, steady, or regular
- (prenominal) unequivocal or straightforward ⇒
a square contradiction
- (postpositive) neat and tidy
- mathematics (of a matrix) having the same number of rows and columns
- See all square
- See square peg
verb (mainly tr)
- to make into a square or similar shape
- mathematics to raise (a number or quantity) to the second power
- to test or adjust for deviation with respect to a right angle, plane surface, etc
- (sometimes foll by off) to divide into squares
- to position so as to be rectangular, straight, or level ⇒
square the shoulders
- (sometimes foll by up) to settle (debts, accounts, etc)
- to level (the score) in a game, etc
- (also intr) with to agree or cause to agree ⇒
your ideas don't square with mine
- rowing to turn (an oar) perpendicular to the surface of the water just before commencing a stroke
- (in canoeing) to turn (a paddle) perpendicular to the direction of the canoe at the commencement of a stroke Compare feather (sense 15)
- to arrange (something), esp by a corrupt method or come to an arrangement with (someone), as by bribery
- See square the circle
adverb
- in order to be square
- at right angles
- sport in a straight line across the pitch ⇒
pass the ball square
- informal squarely
Alternative Forms
ˈsquareness noun ˈsquarer noun ˈsquarish adjectiveWord Origin
C13: from Old French esquare , from Vulgar Latin exquadra (unattested), from Latin exC13: from Old French , from Vulgar Latin (unattested), from Latin 1 + to make square; see + quadrāre to make square; see quadrantSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
conservative,
dinosaur,
traditionalist,
die-hard,
stick-in-the-mud,
fuddy-duddy,
old buffer
antediluvian,
back number,
(old) fogey
=
fair,
just,
straight,
genuine,
decent,
ethical,
straightforward,
upright,
honest,
equitable,
upfront,
on the level,
kosher,
dinkum,
above board,
fair and square,
on the up and up,
=
old-fashioned,
straight,
conservative,
conventional,
dated,
bourgeois,
out of date,
stuffy,
behind the times
strait-laced,
out of the ark,
Pooterish,
=
level,
even,
equal,
evenly,
matched,
balanced,
drawn,
on a par
neck and neck,
level pegging,
even stevens
=
even up,
make equal
Translations
- British English:
square
If something is square, it has a shape similar to a square....a square table.skwɛə ADJECTIVE ...a square table.
- Spanish:
cuadrado
adj cuadrada
- French:
carré
adj
- German:
quadratisch
adj
- Chinese: 方形的 adj
- Arabic: مُرَبَّع adj
- Portuguese: quadrado adj quadrada
- Russian: квадратный adj квадратная
- Croatian: četvrtast adj četvrtasta
- Czech: čtvercový adj
- Danish: kvadratisk adj
- Dutch: vierkant adj
- Finnish: neliömäinen adj
- Greek: τετράγωνος adj τετράγωνη
- Italian: quadrato adj quadrata
- Japanese: 正方形の no_posp
- Korean: 정사각형의 adj
- Norwegian: firkantet adj
- Polish: kwadratowy adj kwadratowa
- Brazilian Portuguese: quadrado adj quadrada
- European Spanish:
cuadrado
adj cuadrada
- Swedish: fyrkantig adj fyrkantigt
- Thai: เป็นสี่เหลี่ยม adj
- Turkish: kare adj
- Vietnamese: vuông adj
- British English:
square
A square is a shape with four sides of the same length and four corners that are all right angles.Cut the cake into squares.skwɛə NOUN Cut the cake into squares.
- Spanish:
cuadrado
nm
- French:
carré
nm
- German:
Quadrat
nnt
- Chinese: 正方形 n
- Arabic: مُرَبَّع n
- Portuguese: quadrado nm
- Russian: квадрат nm
- Croatian: kvadrat nm
- Czech: čtverec nm
- Danish: plads nutr
- Dutch: vierkant nnt
- Finnish: neliö n
- Greek: τετράγωνο nnt
- Italian: quadrato nm
- Japanese: 正方形 n
- Korean: 정사각형 n
- Norwegian: firkant nm
- Polish: kwadrat nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: quadrado nm
- European Spanish:
cuadrado
nm
- Swedish: fyrkant nutr
- Thai: สี่เหลี่ยมจตุรัส n
- Turkish: kare n
- Vietnamese: hình vuông n
Usage examples
I was lying in a small square of shade under a tarpaulin fixed to the side of my dead car.
, INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2002)The surnames of many of the players in the team today are etched on the stone memorial in the village square.
Country Life (2004)You don't mind if you are beaten fair and square on the pitch but that wasn't the case," said Field.
Irish Times (2002)Internally she accommodated 100,000 pipes, 1000 miles of electrical cable, and some two million square feet of Formica.
Glasgow Herald (2001)The palm will be longer and more slender than the square hand and the finger tips will be rounded.
, THORSONS WAY OF - PALMISTRY (2002)