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square

/skwɛə(ɹ)/

noun

Meaning

  • A polygon with four sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.

  • Something characterized by a square, or nearly square, form.

  • An L- or T-shaped tool used to place objects or draw lines at right angles.

  • An open space or park, often in the center of a town, not necessarily square in shape, often containing trees, seating and other features pleasing to the eye.

  • The product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself; the second power of a number, value, term or expression.

    "64 is the square of 8."

  • A body of troops drawn up in a square formation.

  • (1950s slang) A socially conventional or conservative person; a person who has little or no interest in the latest fads or trends: still sometimes used in modern terminology.

    "Why do you always wear a tie? Don't be such a square!"

  • The symbol # on a telephone; hash.

    "Enter your account number followed by a square."

  • The central area of a cricket field, with one or more pitches of which only one is used at a time.

    "An ideal playing area is roughly circular in shape with a central area, the cricket square, measuring 27.44 metres by 27.44 metres and boundaries 45.75 metres from the sides of the square."

  • A unit of measurement of area, equal to a 10 foot by 10 foot square, i.e. 100 square feet or roughly 9.3 square metres. Used in real estate for the size of a house or its rooms, though progressively being replaced by square metres in metric countries such as Australia.

  • (roofing) A unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m2) of roof area.

  • (academia) A mortarboard

  • A square meal.

    "Even when times were tough, we got three squares a day."

  • Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.

  • The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.

  • The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.

  • The act of squaring, or quarrelling; a quarrel.

  • Cigarette.

  • A vat used for fermentation.

Synonyms

carpenter's square,
framing square,
steel square,
hash,
pound sign,
sharp,
piazza,
plaza,
tetragon

verb

Meaning

  • To adjust so as to align with or place at a right angle to something else; in particular:

    "The casting was mounted on a milling machine so that its sides could be squared."

  • To resolve or reconcile; to suit or fit.

    "John can square this question up for us."

  • To adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something.

    "I cannot square the results of the experiment with my hypothesis."

  • Of a value, term or expression, to multiply by itself; to raise to the second power.

  • To draw, with a pair of compasses and a straightedge only, a square with the same area as.

    "square the circle"

  • To make a short low pass sideways across the pitch

  • To take opposing sides; to quarrel.

  • To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to suit; to fit.

  • To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.

  • To take a boxing attitude; often with up or off.

  • To form with four sides and four right angles.

  • To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces.

    "to square mason's work"

  • To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.

  • To hold a quartile position respecting.

adjective

Meaning

  • Shaped like a square (the polygon).

  • Forming a right angle, especially at right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.

    "a square corner"

  • Of numbers formed by multiplying two equal numbers.

    "9 is a square number."

  • Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself.

    "square metre"

  • Honest; straightforward.

    "square dealing"

  • Fair.

    "I'm just looking for a square deal on my car repair."

  • Even; tied

    "The sides were square at the end of the half."

  • Socially conventional; boring.

  • In line with the batsman's popping crease.

  • Correctly aligned with respect to something else.

  • Hearty; vigorous.

    "It may be prison, but at least I'm getting three square meals a day."

  • Having a shape broad for the height, with angular rather than curving outlines.

    "a man of a square frame"

Synonyms

above board,
on the level,
on the square,
on the up and up,
straight,
bourgeois,
normal,
orthogonal,
perpendicular