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square Definition

square (skwer)

noun

  1. a plane figure having four equal sides and four right angles
    1. anything having or approximating this shape a square of cloth
    2. any of the spaces on a board for chess, checkers, etc.
  3. ☆ block ()
    1. an open area bounded by, or at the intersection of, several streets, usually used as a park, plaza, etc.
    2. buildings surrounding such an area
  5. an instrument having two sides that form an angle of 90 degrees, used for drawing or testing right angles
  6. a solid piece with at least one face that is a square to cut a cake into squares
  7. the product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself 9 is the square of 3
  8. ☆ Informal a square meal three squares a day
  9. ☆ Slang a person who is square ()

Etymology: ME < OFr esquarre < VL *exquadra < *exquadrare, to make square < L ex, out + quadrare, to square < quadrus, a square < base of quattuor, four

transitive verb squared, squar′·ing

    1. to make into a square; make square
    2. to make into any rectangle
  2. to test or adjust with regard to straightness or evenness to square a surface with a straightedge
  3. to bring to or near to the form of a right angle to square one's shoulders
    1. to settle; adjust; make right or even to square accounts
    2. to adjust or settle the accounts of to square oneself with another
  5. to make equal to square the score of a game
  6. to bring into agreement; make conform to square a statement with the facts
  7. to mark off (a surface) in a series of connected squares
  8. to bring into the correct position, as with reference to a line, course, etc.
  9. to multiply (a number or quantity) by itself
  10. to determine the square that is equal in area to (a figure)
  11. Slang to bribe

Etymology: ME squaren < OFr esquarrer < VL *exquadrare

intransitive verb

to fit; agree; accord (with)

Etymology: ME < OFr esquarre, pp. of esquarrer

adjective squar′er, squar′·est

    1. having four equal sides and four right angles
    2. more or less cubical; rectangular and three-dimensional, as a box
  2. forming a right angle, or having a rectangular part or parts
  3. correctly adjusted or positioned; straight, level, even, etc.
    1. leaving no balance; balanced; even
    2. even in score; tied
  5. just; fair; honest
  6. clear; direct; straightforward; unequivocal a square refusal
    1. designating or of a unit of surface measure in the form of a square having sides of a specified length
    2. given or stated in terms of such surface measure
  8. having a shape broad for its length or height, with a solid, sturdy appearance, and somewhat rectangular or rectilinear a square jaw
  9. square or rectangular in cross section, as some files
  10. designating a number that is the product of another number multiplied by itself
  11. ☆ Informal satisfying; solid; substantial a square meal
  12. ☆ Slang not conversant with the current fads, styles, slang, etc.; old-fashioned, unsophisticated, conservative, etc.
  13. Naut. at right angles to the keel and mast, as the yards of a square-rigged ship

adverb squar′er, squar′·est

  1. honestly; fairly; justly
  2. so as to be or form a square; at right angles
  3. directly; exactly
  4. so as to face
  5. firmly; solidly

square Related Forms
square′ly adverb square′·ness noun
square Idioms

on the square

  1. at right angles (to something specified)
  2. Informal honest(ly), fair(ly), genuine(ly), etc.

out of square

  1. not at right angles (with something specified)
  2. Informal not in harmony, order, or agreement

square away

  1. to bring a ship's yards around so as to sail directly before the wind
  2. square off
  3. Informal to get ready; put in order

square off

☆

to assume a posture of attack or self-defense, as in boxing

square oneself

☆

Informal to make amends for damage, a wrong, hurt, etc. done by oneself to another

square the circle

  1. to construct or find a square equal in area to a given circle: an insoluble problem in Euclidean geometry
  2. to do or attempt something that seems impossible

square up

  1. to make a settlement, as by paying, balancing accounts, etc.
  2. to assume a posture of opposition (to an adversary)
square Synonyms

square

modif.

  1. Having right angles

    right-angled, four-sided, equal-sided, foursquare, squared, equilateral, rectangular, rectilinear.

  2. *Old-fashioned

    dated, stuffy, conventional, conformist, boring; see also conservative, dull 3, old-fashioned.

square Synonyms

square

n.

  1. A rectangle

    equal-sided rectangle, plane figure, rectilinear plane; see rectangle.

  2. A park

    city center, civic center, intersection, plaza, traffic circle, open space, recreational area; see also park 1.

on the square

just, fair, decent; see honest 1, reasonable 2.

square Usage Examples

Object

  • deviation: It turns out that the mean is the value which minimizes the sum of squared deviations.
  • circle: The secret will be squaring a few circles rather than walking around the truth.

Preposition: on

  • underlay: Place the black felt square on the white underlay and smooth it out.

Adjective modifier

  • 10km: The aims of the survey are: To establish presence/absence of each species of wild deer in 10km squares in the UK.
  • least: To get them for the starting model for the least squares do zero cycles.
  • Latin: Later chapters even have simple things well explained, like a Latin square.
  • magic: Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen's Music, has used magic squares in several of his compositions.

Converse of object

  • overlook: Best room: number one overlooking the Georgian square.

Modifies a noun

  • meter: Here, there will be over 50,000 square meters of such uses.
  • kilometer: Every year, each square kilometer of hot desert receives solar energy equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of oil.
  • bracket: Do you see a phonetic symbol between the square brackets?
  • mile: Are charges for a unified empire its square miles.
  • foot: You will want 1 bunch for every 2 square feet of pool surface, which works out at 5 bunches per square meter.
  • meter: The new 250 square meter Turkish bath is a lovely area in which to relax.

Noun used with modifier

  • km: The third element was a field study of habitats, flora and fauna on a random sample of paired 1 km squares.
  • terry: Traditional terry square A versatile flat diaper which comes in a variety of sizes to suit a newborn, older baby or toddler.
  • grid: How do I count the number of species present in separate grid squares?
  • chi: Chi Square Tutorial | Run a demo | Jeff's demo | Begin chi square | Feedback.
  • kilometer: Each area in a 1: 50 000 map is subdivided into one kilometer squares.
  • cm: The Jaques walnut and sycamore Chessboard ( 6,3 cm squares ) is a remarkable replica of the 19th century design!
square Quotes

So 'ere's to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, at your 'ome in the Soudan; You're a pore benighted 'eathen but a first-class fightin' man; An''ere's to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, with your 'ayrick 'ead of 'airö You big black boundin' beggaröfor you broke a British square!

—Kipling, (Joseph) Rudyard

   Ah, sad and strange as in dark summer dawns The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds To dying ears, when unto dying eyes The casement slowly grows a glimmering square; So sad, so strange, the days that are no more. Dear as remembered kisses after death, And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigned On lips that are for others; deep as love, Deep as first love, and wild with all regret; O Death in Life, the days that are no more.

—Tennyson

When you go out to paint, try to forget what objects you have before youöa tree, a house, a field, or whatever. Merely think, here is a little square of blue, here an oblong of pink, here a streakof yellow, and paint it just as it looks to you, the exact colour and shape, until it gives your own naive impression of the scene before you.

—Monet, Claude

Why can't a woman be more like a man? Men are so honest, so thoroughly square; Eternally noble, historically fair; Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat. Why can't a woman be like that?

—Lerner, AlanJay

We keep saying old people are square. Then when they aren'töwe don't like it!

—Shaffer, Peter

When I have pointed out one corner of a square to anyoneand he doesnotcome back withthe other three, I will not point it out to him a second time.

—Confucius or K'ung Fu-tse,'The MasterK'ung'

   Me seems the world is run quite out of square, And being once amiss grows daily worse and worse.

—Spenser, Edmund

Heavenly weather. If life was always like that.Cricket weather. Sit around under sunshades.Over after over. Out. They can't play it here. Still,Captain Buller broke a window in Kildare Street Club with a slog to square leg.

—Joyce,James Augustine Aloysius

I must be mad, or very tired, When the curve of a blue bay beyond a railroad track Is shrill and sweet to me like the sudden springing of a tune, And the sight of a white church above thin trees in a city square Amazes my eyes as though it were the Parthenon.

—Lowell, Amy