broad gauge

¹ American  

especially in technical use, broad gage

noun

Railroads.

1. gauge15

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broad-gauge ² American  

[brawd-geyj] / ˈbrɔdˌgeɪdʒ /

Or broad-gauged

adjective

1. Railroads. of or relating to equipment designed for a railroad having track of a broad gauge.

   broad-gauge rolling stock.

2. of wide scope, application, or experience.

   broad-gauge efforts to improve the health of our citizens.

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broad gauge British  

noun

1. a railway track with a greater distance between the lines than the standard gauge of 56 1/ 2 inches (about 1.44 metres) used now by most mainline railway systems

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting a railway having this track

Etymology

Origin of broad gauge¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Origin of broad-gauge²

1835–45, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

The business outlook survey index - a broad gauge of how firms feel about their prospects - hit -3.51, the lowest since the -6.16 seen in the second quarter of 2020.

From Reuters • Oct. 16, 2023

The first logistical nightmare is shifting wagons or their loads from broad gauge tracks - 1,524mm wide, in use in the former Soviet Union - to narrower European gauge - 1,432mm wide.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2022

MSCI’s broad gauge of regional markets outside Japan fell more than 2% to its lowest level since November 2020.

From The Guardian • Jan. 27, 2022

Its purchasing managers’ index - a broad gauge of business activity - rose to 54.4 in June from 53.6 the previous month.

From Washington Times • Jul. 3, 2015

We have already traced the construction of the broad gauge line from Egypt which followed close behind the British in their advance across the Desert and into Southern Palestine.

From With the British Army in The Holy Land by Lock, H. O. (Henry Osmond)