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• five-by-five
  five-by-five

  adjective

  short and fat.
• five by five
  five by five

  interjection

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

five-by-five

American  

[fahyv-bahy-fahyv] / ˈfaɪv baɪˈfaɪv /

adjective

Slang: Facetious.

1. short and fat.

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five by five British  

interjection

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

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Etymology

Origin of five-by-five

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

five-by-five five by five

Their approach involved five sessions per day for five days, known as five-by-five, or "5x5."

From Science Daily ● Feb. 25, 2026

Designed by Michael Kiesling, who made one of my all-time favorite Eurogames, Vikings, Azul asks players to fill out a five-by-five grid on their individual boards by taking tiles in five colors from the central supply.

From Slate ● Dec. 29, 2017

The game lays out a five-by-five grid on which two players compete to claim the most lettered squares.

From New York Times ● Nov. 6, 2012

At the conclusion of every game of tournament Scrabble, players arrange the 100 tiles into four five-by-five squares, to ensure none are missing.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2012

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

From Anything You Can Do! by Randall Garrett

Because the telescope is so compact, the team also examined a satellite carrying a five by five array of telescopes.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2026

Being five by five External link can mean things are fine in rocketry.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

But if the powers that be, including Gellar, the Zuckermans, Zhao and executive producer Gail Berman, are able to avoid the pitfalls of those that came before, everything should be five by five.

From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2025

Then do the same with a different number of blue cubes — say, five by five by five.

From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2015

I plant them five by five feet apart, as they require a thorough cultivation the first two years from planting.

From Trees, Fruits and Flowers of Minnesota, 1916 Embracing the Transactions of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society,Volume 44, from December 1, 1915, to December 1, 1916, Including the Twelve Numbers of "The Minnesota Horticulturist" for 1916 by A. W. Latham