Measure Definition & Meaning
measure
- noun
- 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; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated; "the schools comply with federal standards"; "they set the measure for all subsequent work"
- (prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse
- musical notation for a repeating pattern of musical beats; "the orchestra omitted the last twelve bars of the song"
- measuring instrument having a sequence of marks at regular intervals; used as a reference in making measurements
- a container of some standard capacity that is used to obtain fixed amounts of a substance
- verb
- determine the measurements of something or somebody, take measurements of; "Measure the length of the wall"
- express as a number or measure or quantity; "Can you quantify your results?"
- have certain dimensions; "This table surfaces measures 20inches by 36 inches"
- 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:
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"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
Words that rhyme with measure
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.