five-by-five

[ fahyv-bahy-fahyv ]

adjective

, Slang: Facetious.

1. short and fat.

five by five

interjection

1. an expression used in telecommunications to state that a signal is being received clearly

Word History and Origins

Origin of five-by-five¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

He walked over to the nearby table and opened a box some twelve inches long and five-by-five inches in cross section.

From Project Gutenberg

He walked over to the nearby table and opened a box some twelve inches long and five-by-five inches in cross-section.

From Project Gutenberg