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It is not only important, but, in a degree necessary, that the people of this country, should have an American Dictionary of the English language; for, although the body of the language is the same as in England, and it is desirable to perpetuate that sameness, yet some differences must exist. Language is the expression of ideas; and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language. |
GAUGE, v.t. gage.
GAUGE, n. gage. A measure; a standard of measure.
To measure or determine with a
gauge.
To measure or to ascertain the contents or
the capacity of, as of a pipe, barrel, or keg.
To measure the dimensions
of, or to test the accuracy of the form of, as of a part of a
gunlock.
The vanes nicely gauged on each side. Derham. To draw into equidistant gathers by
running a thread through it, as cloth or a garment.
To measure the capacity, character, or
ability of; to estimate; to judge of.
You shall not gauge me A measure; a standard of measure; an
instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a
standard.
This plate must be a gauge to file your worm and groove to equal breadth by. Moxon. There is not in our hands any fixed gauge of minds. I. Taylor. Measure; dimensions; estimate.
The gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt. Burke. Any instrument for
ascertaining or regulating the dimensions or forms of things] a
templet or template; as, a button maker's gauge.
Any instrument or
apparatus for measuring the state of a phenomenon, or for
ascertaining its numerical elements at any moment; -- usually applied
to some particular instrument; as, a rain gauge; a steam
gauge.
Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the
wind; as, a vessel has the weather gauge of another when on
the windward side of it, and the lee gauge when on the lee
side of it.
The distance between the rails of a
railway.
* The standard gauge of railroads in most countries is four feet, eight and one half inches. Wide, or broad, gauge, in the United States, is six feet; in England, seven feet, and generally any gauge exceeding standard gauge. Any gauge less than standard gauge is now called narrow gauge. It varies from two feet to three feet six inches. The quantity of
plaster of Paris used with common plaster to accelerate its
setting.
That part of a shingle,
slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one
course of such shingles, slates, or tiles.
Gauge of a carriage, car,
etc., the distance between the wheels; -- ordinarily called the
track. -- Gauge cock, a stop cock
used as a try cock for ascertaining the height of the water level in
a steam boiler. -- Gauge concussion
(Railroads), the jar caused by a car-wheel flange striking
the edge of the rail. -- Gauge glass, a
glass tube for a water gauge. -- Gauge lathe,
an automatic lathe for turning a round object having an irregular
profile, as a baluster or chair round, to a templet or gauge. --
Gauge point, the diameter of a cylinder whose
altitude is one inch, and contents equal to that of a unit of a given
measure; -- a term used in gauging casks, etc. -- Gauge
rod, a graduated rod, for measuring the capacity of
barrels, casks, etc. -- Gauge saw, a
handsaw, with a gauge to regulate the depth of cut.
Knight. -- Gauge stuff, a stiff and
compact plaster, used in making cornices, moldings, etc., by means of
a templet. -- Gauge wheel, a wheel at the
forward end of a plow beam, to determine the depth of the
furrow. -- Joiner's gauge, an instrument
used to strike a line parallel to the straight side of a board,
etc. -- Printer's gauge, an instrument to
regulate the length of the page. -- Rain
gauge, an instrument for measuring the quantity of rain
at any given place. -- Salt gauge, or
Brine gauge, an instrument or contrivance for
indicating the degree of saltness of water from its specific gravity,
as in the boilers of ocean steamers. -- Sea
gauge, an instrument for finding the depth of the
sea. -- Siphon gauge, a glass siphon tube,
partly filled with mercury, -- used to indicate pressure, as of
steam, or the degree of rarefaction produced in the receiver of an
air pump or other vacuum; a manometer. -- Sliding
gauge. (Mach.) | ||||||||