square

Shaped like a square (the polygon).

Adjective

  1. Shaped like a square (the polygon).
    • The huge square box, parquet-floored and high-ceilinged, had been arranged to display a suite of bedroom furniture designed and made in the halcyon days of the last quarter of the nineteenth century, […]. - 1963,...

    Hypernyms: rectangular polygonal

    Coordinate Terms: circular oval triangular trapezoidal rectangular rhomboid

  2. Forming a right angle (90°).
    • a square corner
    • Take care to make the cut completely square to the edges of the wire to give a good butt join for the ends of the wire. - 2017, Julia Rai, Making Metal Clay Jewellery:
    • A September video from the TikTok user syrianpsycho, who promotes softmaxxing to his 1.2 million followers, bemoans the experience of going to restaurant while “mewing” (a technique that involves placing the tongue on...

    Synonyms: orthogonal perpendicular normal

    Antonyms: crooked out of square oblique

    1. (of box-shaped objects such as buildings or metal frames) Forming right angles in all planes as intended; not racked or leaning.

      • The foundation has to be level and the framing has to be square.
      • The stacks had to be neat and square or the old guy grumbled and insisted on getting it just so. - 2019, Bruce W. Herdman, Ozarks Lite:

      Synonyms: orthogonal perpendicular normal

      Antonyms: crooked out of square oblique racked

    2. (nautical) Forming 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.

      Synonyms: orthogonal perpendicular normal

      Antonyms: crooked out of square oblique

  3. Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself.
    • A floor that measures 4 feet square has an area of 16 square feet.
    • square mile
    • It is not permissible to use abbreviations for unit symbols or unit names, such as sec (for either s or second), sq. mm (for either mm² or square millimetre), cc (for either cm³ or cubic centimetre), or mps (for either...

    Coordinate Terms: cubic linear

  4. Honest; straightforward; fair.
    • I'm just looking for a square deal on my car repair.
    • square dealing
    • Why, you would not be boosing till lightman's in a square crib like mine, as if you were in a flash panny? - 1828, Edward Bulwer Lytton Baron Lytton, Pelham, Or, Adventures of a Gentleman:

    Synonyms: above board on the level on the square on the up and up straight

  5. Satisfied; comfortable with; not experiencing any conflict.
    • By the confident tone in her voice, you can tell she is square with that. - 2007, Lauren Heaton, Holly Bollinger, Catherine Lee Phillips, Susan Gartner, Women of the Harvest, page 63:
    • " […] I will never act on it, but if you're satisfied with the way things are then I am, too. […] So, are we square?” - 2009, Ramona Holliday, Winter Murders:
  6. Even; tied
    • to make or leave the accounts square
    • The sides were square at the end of the half.
    • The teams were square while at even strength. have to play better than even if we want to win games." said Montreal goalie Jose Theodore - 2000 December 16, “Islanders, Devils Make It Tough For Canadian Teams”, in Bryan...
  7. Socially conventional; boring.
    • It was a square town, but that didn't bother me. I knew I didn't have to live a square life. - 1974, Jack Olsen, The Girls on the Campus, page 100:
    • The square Johns lie more than the in-guys do. - 1990, A. W. Gray, In Defense of Judges:

    Synonyms: bourgeois

  8. In line with the batsman's popping crease.
  9. Solid, decent, substantial.
    • It may be prison, but at least I'm getting three square meals a day.
    • By Heaven, square eaters. More meat, I say. - c. 1613 (first performance), John Fletcher, “The Tragedie of Bonduca”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […],...
    • It is obvious two o'clock will arrive in about five and a half hours from now, and I presume every gentleman in the House would like to get a square breakfast. - 1879, United States. Congress, Congressional Record,...
  10. Having a shape broad for the height, with angular rather than curving outlines.
    • a man of a square frame
  11. Of an internal combustion engine design, in which the diameter of the piston is similar, roughly, approximately, equal to its stroke distance.

    Coordinate Terms: oversquare undersquare

Origin

From Middle English square, sqware, squyre; from Old French esquarre, esquerre, (modern French équerre), from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, from Latin ex- + quadro, from quadrus (compare English quad and quadra). Doublet of squad and squadra. Displaced Old English fēowerecge (fēower nominative + ecg accusative, as in "four-edged").

Forms

squarer squarest

Derived

all square be there or be square fair and square oversquare over-square over square square bracket square centimetre square centimeter square circle square dancing square deal square drive square engine square flipper squareflipper square foot squarehead square inch square knot square Kufic square leg squarely square matrix

Adverb

  1. Directly.
    • Staash tipped up the rim of his hat and looked me square in the eyes as the cigarette dangled from his lips. - 2012, Allan A. Zarbock, Nobody, page 211:

Forms

more square most square

Noun

  1. A polygon with four straight sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.
    • I took refuge in the square form and exhibited a picture which consisted of nothing more than a black square on a white field. - 1927, Kazimir Malevich, The Non-Objective World:

    Hypernyms: rectangle rhombus kite parallelogram polygon shape

    Coordinate Terms: circle oval triangle trapezoid lozenge diamond

  2. Something characterized by a square, or nearly square, form.
    • You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.

    1. A cell in a grid.

    2. A square piece, part, or surface.

      • a square of glass

    3. The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.

    4. (Canada, US) A dessert cut into rectangular pieces, or a piece of such a dessert.

    5. (printing) A certain number of lines, forming a portion of a column, nearly square; used chiefly in reckoning the prices of advertisements in newspapers.

      Coordinate Terms: column inch

  3. An L- or T-shaped tool used to place objects or draw lines at right angles.
    • There are so many uses for the square, in fact, that a new model will usually come complete with a booklet enumerating its applications. - a. 2018, Bob Vila, “Carpenter squares”, in Bob Vila, archived from the original...

    1. (figuratively, obsolete) A true measure, standard, or pattern.

  4. 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 statue of Alexander the Seventh stands in the large square of the town. - 1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
    • You're not in Wisconsin, Dave. The big story isn't about a cow wandering into the town square. - 1995 October 10, NewsRadio, season 2, episode 3:

    Synonyms: piazza plaza

    1. (often in street names or addresses) A street surrounding a public square or plaza.

      Synonyms: piazza plaza place

  5. 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.

    Antonyms: square root

  6. A pattern to be matched that consists of a subpattern repeated, such as "papa" or "wikiwiki".
    • Squares cannot be easily matched by regular expressions.
  7. A body of troops drawn up in a square formation.
    • he alone Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had In the brave squares of war - c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies,...
    • 1818, quoted in Christopher Kelly, History of the French Revolution and of the Wars produced by that Memorable Event The French cavalry, in proof armour, repeatedly charged our squares, their cannon opening chasms; but...
    • The sand of the desert is sodden red,— Red with the wreck of a square that broke;— The Gatling's jammed and the Colonel dead, And the regiment blind with dust and smoke. - 1897, Henry Newbolt, Vitae Lampada:
  8. A socially conventional or conservative person; a person who has little or no interest in the latest fads or trends.
    • Why do you always wear a tie? Don't be such a square!
    • Good looks are important, but good looks don't hold if he's a square. - 1949 March 11, “R.S.V.P.”, in Courier, volume xv, number 9, Harvey, IL: Thornton Junior College, page 3:
    • She said: Wow! What a square! Don't you dig the scene? / Daddy Cool's playing his piano machine! - 1957, Frank Slay, Bob Crewe, “Daddy Cool”, performed by The Rays:

    Synonyms: basic bitch bourgeois L7 mainstreamer mainstreamist muggle mundane normal normalfag normaloid normie square straight

  9. The symbol # on a telephone; hash.
    • Enter your account number followed by a square.

    Synonyms: hash sharp pound sign

  10. 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.
  11. 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.
    • 2006, Macquarie Bank (Australia), press release Macquarie releases Real Estate Market Outlook 2006 - "The World Squared", 21 June 2006 http://www.macquarie.com.au/au/about_macquarie/media_centre/20060621.htm Just as the...
    • 2007, Your Estate advertisement for Grindelwald Tasmania http://www.yourestate.com.au/property_12753.php The house is very large and open and boasts 39 squares of living space plus over 13 squares of decking area on 3...
  12. A unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m²) of roof area. The materials for roofing jobs are often billed by the square in the United States.

Forms

squares

Derived

alphamagic square antimagic square back to square one bacon square be there and be square bimagic square black square blue square call it square capsquare carpenter's square carpentry square Cartesian square catch a square center square centre square chi-square chi-square distribution chi-square test circle gets the square combination square complete the square cube-square law deep square leg

Verb

  1. 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.

    1. (nautical) To place at a right angle to the mast or keel.

      • to square the yards

    2. (rowing) To rotate the oars so that they are perpendicular to the water.

  2. To resolve or reconcile; to suit or fit.
    • John can square this question up for us.
    • These results just don't square with what we expected.
    • […] the process theist may not regard the killing of non-human animals for food or other reasons as generally acceptable. Call the process thinker who regards the killing of non-human animals for food as (usually)...
  3. To adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something.
    • I cannot square the results of the experiment with my hypothesis.
    • to square our actions by the opinions of others
    • Square my trial To my proportioned strength. - 1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […]...
  4. Of a value, term, or expression, to multiply by itself; to raise to the second power.
  5. To draw, with a pair of compasses and a straightedge only, a square with the same area as.
    • square the circle
  6. To tile (completely fill) with squares.
  7. To make a short low pass sideways across the pitch
    • First, former Toffee Mikel Arteta sent Walcott racing clear but instead of shooting he squared towards Ramsey, who was foiled by Tony Hibbert. - 2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, in BBC Sport:
  8. To take opposing sides; to quarrel.
  9. To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to suit; to fit.
    • No works shall find acceptance […] that square not truly with the Scripture plan. - 1782, William Cowper, Charity:
  10. To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
    • Are you such fools / To square for this? - c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio),...
  11. To take a boxing attitude; often with up or off.
    • There we stood, well squared up before it, shoulder to shoulder, and foot to foot, with our hands behind us, not budging an inch. - 1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations […], volume (please...
  12. To form with four sides and four right angles.
    • A stately pallace built of squared bricke, Which cunningly was without morter laid - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Forms

squares squaring squared

Related

cubic quadrilateral rectangle rhombus

Derived

square around square away square off square one's shoulders square the circle square up square with ²