square

[skwair]

noun

1. a rectangle having all four sides of equal length.

2. anything having this form or a form approximating it, as a city block, rectangular piece of candy, etc.

3. an open area or plaza in a city or town, formed by the meeting or intersecting of two or more streets and often planted with grass, trees, etc., in the center.

   Synonyms: park, place

4. a rectangularly shaped area on a game board, as in chess or checkers.

5. a try square, T square, or the like.

6. Mathematics.

   1. the second power of a quantity, expressed as a2 = a × a, where a is the quantity.

   2. a quantity that is the second power of another.

      Four is the square of two.

7. Slang.,  a person who is ignorant of or uninterested in current fads, ideas, manners, tastes, etc.; an old-fashioned, conventional, or conservative person.

8. Military.,  (formerly) a body of troops drawn up in quadrilateral form.

9. Building Trades.,  a unit of measure for roofing materials, equal to 100 square feet (9.3 sq. m).

10. a flower bud of the cotton plant.

11. Nautical.,  the area at the bottom of a hatchway.

12. Informal.,  Usually squares. a square meal.

    to get three squares a day.

13. Astrology.,  a situation in which two heavenly bodies or groups of heavenly bodies have celestial longitudes differing by 90 degrees, an aspect indicative of internal tension with an equally strong and conflicting need for adjustment.

14. Obsolete.,  a pattern, standard, or example.

verb (used with object)

squared, squaring 

1. to reduce to square, rectangular, or cubical form (often followed byoff ).

   He squared off the log to make a timber for his house.

2. to mark out in one or more squares or rectangles.

3. to test with measuring devices for deviation from a right angle, straight line, or plane surface.

4. Mathematics.

   1. to multiply (a number or quantity) by itself; raise to the second power.

   2. to describe or find a square that is equivalent in area to.

      to square a circle.

5. to bring to the form of a right angle or right angles; set at right angles to something else.

6. to even the score of (a contest).

   to square a game.

7. to set (the shoulders and back) in an erect posture so they form an angle similar to a right angle.

8. to make straight, level, or even.

   Square the cloth on the table.

   Synonyms: straighten

9. to regulate, as by a standard; adapt; adjust.

   Synonyms: rectify

10. to adjust harmoniously or satisfactorily (often followed bywith ).

    How could you square such actions with your conscience?

11. to balance; pay off; settle.

    to square a debt.

12. Slang.,  to secure a desired action or attitude by means of bribery; bribe.

verb (used without object)

squared, squaring 

1. to accord or agree (often followed bywith ).

   Your theory does not square with the facts.

2. to settle, even, or balance a matter, as by paying a bill, returning a favor, or tying a score.

3. (of a cotton plant) to form buds.

adjective

squarer, squarest 

1. formed by or as a right angle; having some part or parts rectangular.

   a square corner.

2. having four sides and four right angles in two dimensions or three pairs of parallel sides meeting at right angles in three dimensions; having each dimension in the shape of a square or rectangle and all angles right angles.

   a square box.

3. noting any unit of area measurement having the form of a square and designated by a unit of linear measurement forming a side of the square.

   one square foot.

4. noting a system of area measurement in terms of such units.

5. (of an area) equal to a square of a specified length on a side.

   five miles square.

6. at right angles, or perpendicular.

7. Nautical.,  at right angles to the mast and the keel, as a yard.

8. having a square or rectangular section.

   a square bar.

9. having a solid, sturdy form, especially when characterized by a rectilinear or angular outline.

10. straight, level, or even, as a surface.

11. leaving no balance of debt on either side; having all accounts settled.

    I'm all square with my landlord.

    Synonyms: balanced

12. just, fair, or honest.

13. straightforward, direct, or unequivocal.

    Synonyms: straight, downright

14. Slang.,  conventional or conservative in style or outlook; not hip.

adverb

1. so as to be square; in square or rectangular form.

2. at right angles.

3. fairly or honestly.

4. directly or straightforwardly.

verb phrase

1. square off

   1. to assume a posture of defense or offense, as in boxing.

      They squared off for a fight.

   2. to prepare to dispute with another; show signs of opposition or resistance.

      The governor and the legislature are squaring off over the landfill issue.

2. square up.,  square up.

3. square around,  (of a bunter) to shift the feet and body from a conventional batting stance to a position facing the pitcher, with the bat held across and in front of the body.

4. square away

   1. Nautical.,  to arrange the yards so as to sail before the wind.

   2. to prepare; get ready.

      Square away for dinner.

   3. to assume a position of defense or offense.

      The wrestlers squared away for the first fall.

   4. to organize or complete satisfactorily; put in order.

      I want to square away the work before going on vacation.

square

/ skwɛə /

noun

1. a plane geometric figure having four equal sides and four right angles Compare rectangle rhombus

2. any object, part, or arrangement having this or a similar shape

   a square of carpet

   a square on a chess board

3. (capital when part of name) an open area in a town, sometimes including the surrounding buildings, which may form a square

4. maths the product of two equal factors; the second power

   9 is the square of 3, written 3²

5. 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

6. cricket the closely-cut area in the middle of a ground on which wickets are prepared

7. a body of soldiers drawn up in the form of a square

8. rowing the position of the blade of an oar perpendicular to the surface of the water just before and during a stroke

9. informal,  a person who is old-fashioned in views, customs, appearance, etc

10. astrology an aspect of about 90° between two planets, etc See conjunction opposition trine

11. obsolete,  a standard, pattern, or rule

12. indicating a return to the starting-point of an investigation, experiment, etc, because of failure, lack of progress, etc

13. 1. at right angles

    2. on equal terms

    3. informal,  honestly and openly

    4. slang,  a phrase identifying someone as a Freemason

       he is on the square

14. 1. not at right angles or not having a right angle

    2. not in order or agreement

adjective

1. being a square in shape

2. having or forming one or more right angles or being at right angles to something

3. square or rectangular in section

   a square bar

4. 1. (prenominal) denoting a measure of area of any shape

      a circle of four square feet

   2. (immediately postpositive) denoting a square having a specified length on each side

      a board four feet square contains 16 square feet

5. fair and honest (esp in the phrase a square deal )

6. straight, even, or level

   a square surface

7. cricket at right angles to the wicket

   square leg

8. sport in a straight line across the pitch

   a square pass

9. nautical (of the sails of a square-rigger) set at right angles to the keel

10. informal,  old-fashioned in views, customs, appearance, etc

11. stocky or sturdy

    square shoulders

12. (postpositive) having no remaining debts or accounts to be settled

13. (of a horse's gait) sound, steady, or regular

14. (prenominal) unequivocal or straightforward

    a square contradiction

15. (postpositive) neat and tidy

16. maths (of a matrix) having the same number of rows and columns

17. on equal terms; even in score

18. informal,  a person or thing that is a misfit, such as an employee in a job for which he is unsuited

verb

1. to make into a square or similar shape

2. maths to raise (a number or quantity) to the second power

3. to test or adjust for deviation with respect to a right angle, plane surface, etc

4. (sometimes foll by off) to divide into squares

5. to position so as to be rectangular, straight, or level

   square the shoulders

6. (sometimes foll by up) to settle (debts, accounts, etc)

7. to level (the score) in a game, etc

8. to agree or cause to agree

   your ideas don't square with mine

9. rowing to turn (an oar) perpendicular to the surface of the water just before commencing a stroke

10. (in canoeing) to turn (a paddle) perpendicular to the direction of the canoe at the commencement of a stroke Compare feather

11. to arrange (something), esp by a corrupt method or come to an arrangement with (someone), as by bribery

12. to attempt the impossible (in reference to the insoluble problem of constructing a square having exactly the same area as a given circle)

adverb

1. in order to be square

2. at right angles

3. sport in a straight line across the pitch

   pass the ball square

4. informal,  squarely

square

1. A rectangle having four equal sides.

2. The product that results when a number or quantity is multiplied by itself. The square of 8, for example, is 64.

1. Of, being, or using units that express the measure of area.

1. To multiply a number, quantity, or expression by itself.

square

1. A number multiplied by itself, or raised to the second power. The square of three is nine; the square of nine is eighty-one.

Other Word Forms

• squarable adjective
• squarelike adjective
• squareness noun
• squarer noun
• unsquarable adjective
• unsquared adjective
• squarish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of square¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) Middle English, from Old French esquar(r)e, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin exquadra, derivative of unattested exquadrāre ( Latin ex- ex- ¹ + quadrāre to square; quadrate ); (verb) Middle English squaren, from Old French esquarrer, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin exquadrāre; (adjective) Middle English, from Old French esquarré, past participle of esquarrer; (adverb) derivative of the adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of square¹

C13: from Old French esquare , from Vulgar Latin exquadra (unattested), from Latin _ex ¹ + quadrāre to make square; see _quadrant

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. square the circle, to strive without chance of success; attempt the impossible.

2. out of square,

   1. not at right angles.

   2. not in agreement; incorrect; irregular.

      The inspector's conclusions are out of square with his earlier report.

3. on the square,

   1. at right angles.

   2. Informal. straightforward; honest; just.

      Their dealings with us have always been on the square.

More idioms and phrases containing square

• back to the drawing board (square one)
• fair and square
• on the square
• round peg in a square hole
• shoot straight (square)

Example Sentences

It’s hard to square those benefits with the fact that HHS and NIH have named the planned new universal vaccine platform “Generation Gold Standard,” insisting that it represents a new standard in science and transparency.

From Salon

It’s one of eight divisional matchups in Week 1, with another being the Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs squaring off Friday night in São Paulo, Brazil.

From Los Angeles Times

But the dangers, whether on the parade grounds of Tiananmen square or in US courtrooms, are very real.

From BBC

This was the first time Xi, Putin and Kim had been seen together - and together, they climbed to the top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace that overlooks the historic square to watch the parade.

From BBC

On the last day of preparations - Monday - Chang'an Avenue, the multi-lane road that cuts through the square was once again open to the public.

From BBC

Related Words

• area 
• center 
• circle 
• green 
• plaza 
• space