" gauge "

[Noun]  | "gauge" | \ ˈgāj \

1: a measurement (as of linear dimension) according to some standard or system: such as

2: the distance between the rails of a railroad

3: the size of a shotgun barrel's inner diameter nominally expressed as the number of lead balls each just fitting that diameter required to make a pound

Origin: 15th century ;

 Middle English gauge, gage "fixed standard of measure," borrowed from Anglo-French gauge, gouge "standard of liquid measure, tax paid to an official who determined the capacity of containers" (continental Old and Middle French jauge "graduated rod used for measuring liquid capacity, measurement by such a rod, capacity of a cask"), perhaps going back to Old Low Franconian *galga "rod, beam," going back to Germanic *galgōn "pole, stake, pole on which a condemned person was hung"; (sense 4) translation of German Massstab{mat|gallows:1|};

  * Note : The semantic supposition behind this etymology is that the Old Low Franconian etymon retained the sense "rod" (lost elsewhere in Germanic) which was specialized to refer to a kind of measuring rod in Gallo-Romance. For detailed argumentation and bibliography see: Dictionnaire étymologique de l'ancien français (online) at entry jauge.;

[Noun]  | "gage" 

1: a measurement (as of linear dimension) according to some standard or system: such as

2: the distance between the rails of a railroad

3: the size of a shotgun barrel's inner diameter nominally expressed as the number of lead balls each just fitting that diameter required to make a pound

[Noun]  | "gage" | \ ˈgāj \

1: a token of defiance; specifically : a glove or cap cast on the ground to be taken up by an opponent as a pledge of combat

2: something deposited as a pledge of performance

Origin: 14th century ;

 Middle English, "pledge, formal pledge of a person's appearance to do battle," borrowed from Anglo-French {mat|wage:1|};

[Noun]  | "gage" 

1: greengage

Origin: 1847 ;

 By shortening;

[Noun]  | "gauge theory" 

1: any of several theories in physics that explain the transmission of a fundamental force between two interacting particles by the exchange of an elementary particle

Origin: 1973 ;

[Noun]  | "feeler gauge" 

1: a thin metal strip or wire of known thickness used as a gauge

Origin: 1925 ;

[Noun]  | "pressure gauge" 

1: a gauge for indicating fluid pressure

Origin: 1862 ;

[Verb]  | "gauge" 

1: to measure precisely the size, dimensions, or other measurable quantity of

2: to determine the capacity or contents of

3: estimate, judge

Origin: 15th century ;

 Middle English gawgyn, gagen, borrowed from Anglo-French gauger, derivative of gauge {see: |gauge:1|gauge:1};

[Verb]  | "gage" 

1: pledge

2: stake, risk

Origin: 15th century ;

 Borrowed from Anglo-French gager "to offer surety, give as a pledge," derivative of gage "pledge, {see: |gage:2|gage:2}";

[Adjective]  | "broad-gauge" | \ ˈbrȯd-ˈgāj \

1: wide in area or scope

2: comprehensive in outlook, range, or capability

Origin: 1844 ;

[Verb]  | "gauge" 

[Noun]  | "gauge" 

[Noun]  | "gage" 

[Adjective]  | "broad-gauge"