square

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You're listening to Joanna
She has an American accent.

NGSL Rank: 1440
square
skwɛː Listen
Meanings
noun
  • a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles.
    E.g. a grid of ruled squares
  • an open, typically four-sided, area surrounded by buildings in a village, town, or city.
    E.g. a market square
  • the product of a number multiplied by itself.
    E.g. a circle's area is proportional to the square of its radius
  • an L-shaped or T-shaped instrument used for obtaining or testing right angles.
    E.g. a carpenter's square
  • a person considered to be old-fashioned or boringly conventional in attitude or behaviour.
    E.g. Reg is such a square
  • a square meal.
    E.g. three squares a day
adjective
  • having the shape or approximate shape of a square.
    E.g. a square table
  • denoting a unit of measurement equal to the area of a square whose side is of the unit specified.
    E.g. 30,000 square feet of new gallery space
  • at right angles; perpendicular.
    E.g. these lines must be square to the top and bottom marked edges
  • level or parallel.
    E.g. place two pieces of wood one on top of the other, ensuring that they are exactly square
  • (of two people) owing nothing to each other.
    E.g. an acknowledgement that we are square
  • old-fashioned or boringly conventional.
    E.g. Elvis was anything but square
  • (of rhythm) simple and straightforward.
adverb
  • directly; straight.
    E.g. the ball hit me square in the forehead
  • in a direction transversely across the field or pitch.
    E.g. the ball bounced almost square to the left
verb
  • make square or rectangular; give a square or rectangular cross section to.
    E.g. you can square off the other edge
  • multiply (a number) by itself.
    E.g. 5 squared equals 25
  • balance (an account).
    E.g. institutions are anxious to square their books before the election
  • bring (one's shoulders) into a position in which they appear square and broad, typically to prepare oneself for a difficult task or event.
    E.g. chin up, shoulders squared, she stepped into the room
  • secure the help or acquiescence of (someone), especially by offering an inducement.
    E.g. faced with such declarations, politicians were resolved to squash or square the press
  • pass (a ball) across the field, especially towards the centre.
  • set (a yard or other part of a ship) at right angles to the keel or other point of reference.
  • (of a planet) have a square aspect with (another planet or position).
    E.g. Saturn squares the Sun on the 17th

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