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Measure Definition & Meaning

measure
noun
  1. any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal; "the situation called for strong measures"; "the police took steps to reduce crime"
  2. how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
  3. a statute in draft before it becomes law; "they held a public hearing on the bill"
  4. the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule; "the measurements were carefully done"; "his mental measurings proved remarkably accurate"
  5. a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated; "the schools comply with federal standards"; "they set the measure for all subsequent work"
  6. (prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse
  7. musical notation for a repeating pattern of musical beats; "the orchestra omitted the last twelve bars of the song"
  8. measuring instrument having a sequence of marks at regular intervals; used as a reference in making measurements
  9. a container of some standard capacity that is used to obtain fixed amounts of a substance
verb
  1. determine the measurements of something or somebody, take measurements of; "Measure the length of the wall"
  2. express as a number or measure or quantity; "Can you quantify your results?"
  3. have certain dimensions; "This table surfaces measures 20inches by 36 inches"
  4. evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of; "I will have the family jewels appraised by a professional"; "access all the factors when taking a risk"

"Measure" in song lyrics

See how measure is used in real songs:

  • "I drag a yellow taxi meter behind every measure"
    Aesop Rock — Save Yourself
  • "Digital scale to weigh and measure"
    Afroman — Deck My Balls
  • "whats the test of a man, tell me whats the real measure"
    A.L.I.A.S. — For the Love

Usage tips for "measure"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "measure" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for measure to find words that pair well.

Use "measure" in a verse

Now that you know what "measure" means, try using it in your own lyrics:

Generate a verse

Frequently asked questions

What does measure mean?
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal; "the situation called for strong measures"; "the police took steps to reduce crime" how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify a statute in draft before it becomes law; "they held a public hearing on the bill" the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule; "the measurements were carefully done"; "his mental measurings proved remarkably accurate" a basis for comparison
What part of speech is measure?
Measure is a noun and a verb.
How many definitions does measure have?
Measure has 13 definitions across 2 parts of speech (noun, verb).

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