top definitions
quizzes
related content
examples
explore dictionary
british
scientific
cultural
idioms and phrases

square

[ skwair ]

/ skwɛər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR square ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a rectangle having all four sides of equal length.

anything having this form or a form approximating it, as a city block, rectangular piece of candy, etc.

an open area or plaza in a city or town, formed by the meeting or intersecting of two or more streets and often planted with grass, trees, etc., in the center.

a rectangularly shaped area on a game board, as in chess or checkers.

a try square, T square, or the like.

Mathematics.

the second power of a quantity, expressed as a2 = a × a, where a is the quantity.
a quantity that is the second power of another: Four is the square of two.

Slang. a person who is ignorant of or uninterested in current fads, ideas, manners, tastes, etc.; an old-fashioned, conventional, or conservative person.

Military. (formerly) a body of troops drawn up in quadrilateral form.

Building Trades. a unit of measure for roofing materials, equal to 100 square feet (9.3 sq. m).

a flower bud of the cotton plant.

Nautical. the area at the bottom of a hatchway.

Usually squares. Informal. a square meal: to get three squares a day.

Astrology. a situation in which two heavenly bodies or groups of heavenly bodies have celestial longitudes differing by 90 degrees, an aspect indicative of internal tension with an equally strong and conflicting need for adjustment.

Obsolete. a pattern, standard, or example.

verb (used with object), squared, squar·ing.

to reduce to square, rectangular, or cubical form (often followed by off): He squared off the log to make a timber for his house.

to mark out in one or more squares or rectangles.

to test with measuring devices for deviation from a right angle, straight line, or plane surface.

Mathematics.

to multiply (a number or quantity) by itself; raise to the second power.
to describe or find a square that is equivalent in area to: to square a circle.

to bring to the form of a right angle or right angles; set at right angles to something else.

to even the score of (a contest): to square a game.

to set (the shoulders and back) in an erect posture so they form an angle similar to a right angle.

to make straight, level, or even: Square the cloth on the table.

to regulate, as by a standard; adapt; adjust.

to adjust harmoniously or satisfactorily (often followed by with): How could you square such actions with your conscience?

to balance; pay off; settle: to square a debt.

Slang. to secure a desired action or attitude by means of bribery; bribe.

verb (used without object), squared, squar·ing.

to accord or agree (often followed by with): Your theory does not square with the facts.

to settle, even, or balance a matter, as by paying a bill, returning a favor, or tying a score.

(of a cotton plant) to form buds.

adjective, squar·er, squar·est.

formed by or as a right angle; having some part or parts rectangular: a square corner.

having four sides and four right angles in two dimensions or three pairs of parallel sides meeting at right angles in three dimensions; having each dimension in the shape of a square or rectangle and all angles right angles: a square box.

noting any unit of area measurement having the form of a square and designated by a unit of linear measurement forming a side of the square: one square foot.

noting a system of area measurement in terms of such units.

(of an area) equal to a square of a specified length on a side: five miles square.

at right angles, or perpendicular.

Nautical. at right angles to the mast and the keel, as a yard.

having a square or rectangular section: a square bar.

having a solid, sturdy form, especially when characterized by a rectilinear or angular outline.

straight, level, or even, as a surface.

leaving no balance of debt on either side; having all accounts settled: I'm all square with my landlord.

just, fair, or honest.

straightforward, direct, or unequivocal.

Slang. conventional or conservative in style or outlook; not hip.

adverb

so as to be square; in square or rectangular form.

at right angles.

fairly or honestly.

directly or straightforwardly.

Verb Phrases

square around, Baseball. (of a bunter) to shift the feet and body from a conventional batting stance to a position facing the pitcher, with the bat held across and in front of the body.

square away,

Nautical. to arrange the yards so as to sail before the wind.
to prepare; get ready: Square away for dinner.
to assume a position of defense or offense: The wrestlers squared away for the first fall.
to organize or complete satisfactorily; put in order: I want to square away the work before going on vacation.

square off,

to assume a posture of defense or offense, as in boxing: They squared off for a fight.
to prepare to dispute with another; show signs of opposition or resistance: The governor and the legislature are squaring off over the landfill issue.

square up, to pay or settle an account, bill, etc.: We squared up with the cashier and checked out of the hotel.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON THESE WORDS FROM BROWN GIRL DREAMING!

Visualize yourself passing this quiz on words from Jacqueline Woodson’s exquisite verse novel “Brown Girl Dreaming,” and then take the quiz to prove you can do it! (Because you can.)

Question 1 of 10

What does “barren” mean?

a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.

Worn down by dullness, tedious repetition.

unproductive; unfruitful

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for square

on the square,

at right angles.
Informal. straightforward; honest; just: Their dealings with us have always been on the square.

out of square,

not at right angles.
not in agreement; incorrect; irregular: The inspector's conclusions are out of square with his earlier report.

square the circle, to strive without chance of success; attempt the impossible.

Origin of square

1250–1300; (noun) Middle English <Old French esquar(r)e<Vulgar Latin *exquadra, derivative of *exquadrāre (Latin ex-ex-¹ + quadrāre to square; see quadrate); (v.) Middle English squaren<Old French esquarrer<Vulgar Latin *exquadrāre; (adj.) Middle English <Old French esquarré, past participle of esquarrer; (adv.) derivative of the adj.

SYNONYMS FOR square

3 place, park.

22 straighten.

23 rectify.

40 balanced.

42 downright, straight.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR square ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM square

squar·a·ble, adjectivesquarelike, adjectivesquareness, nounsquarer, noun

un·squar·a·ble, adjectiveun·squared, adjective

Words nearby square

squamous suture, squamozygomatic, squamulose, squander, Squanto, square, square away, square-bashing, square bracket, square centimeter, square dance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for square

Some longtime local acquaintances are struggling to square the man they know with the ugly associations.
No. 3 Republican Admits Talking to White Supremacist Conference|Tim Mak|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Records describe this house as 6,916 square feet, with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built|Michael Daly|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the afternoon, about a thousand people marched in protest through the largest Prague square, with police nowhere in sight.
How Havel Inspired the Velvet Revolution|Michael Zantovsky|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They came from all over the city, by the thousands, to converge on the square.
Eric Garner Protests: ‘It’s Like Vietnam’|Abby Haglage, Caitlin Dickson, Jacob Siegel, Chris Allbritton|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

On a lightly floured board, roll each pastry to an 11-inch square.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies|Ina Garten|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Crossing the square where the Tacon theatre and circus stand, I wander through the narrow, ill-paved streets of the Cuban capital.
The Pearl of the Antilles, or An Artist in Cuba|Walter Goodman
Lay on different parts of the skin a small, square piece of paper with a small central hole in it.
A Practical Physiology|Albert F. Blaisdell
Be square with yourself; be square to the man who is after your heart.
Think|Col. Wm. C. Hunter
Foulon is carried off; dragged across the square, and hung to the lamp post.
The Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 2 (of 6)|Hippolyte A. Taine
Now you have become a journeyman and must accept the responsibility yourself for doing things according to plumb-line and square.
Pelle the Conqueror, Complete|Martin Anderson Nexo

British Dictionary definitions for square

square

/ (skwɛə) /

noun

a plane geometric figure having four equal sides and four right anglesCompare rectangle, rhombus

any object, part, or arrangement having this or a similar shapea square of carpet; a square on a chess board

(capital when part of name) an open area in a town, sometimes including the surrounding buildings, which may form a square

maths the product of two equal factors; the second power9 is the square of 3, written 3²

an instrument having two strips of wood, metal, etc, set in the shape of a T or L, used for constructing or testing right angles

cricket the closely-cut area in the middle of a ground on which wickets are prepared

a body of soldiers drawn up in the form of a square

rowing the position of the blade of an oar perpendicular to the surface of the water just before and during a stroke

informal a person who is old-fashioned in views, customs, appearance, etc

astrology an aspect of about 90° between two planets, etcSee conjunction (def. 5), opposition (def. 9), trine (def. 1)

obsolete a standard, pattern, or rule

back to square one indicating a return to the starting-point of an investigation, experiment, etc, because of failure, lack of progress, etc

on the square

at right angles
on equal terms
informal honestly and openly
slang a phrase identifying someone as a Freemasonhe is on the square

out of square

not at right angles or not having a right angle
not in order or agreement

adjective

being a square in shape

having or forming one or more right angles or being at right angles to something

square or rectangular in sectiona square bar

(prenominal) denoting a measure of area of any shapea circle of four square feet
(immediately postpositive) denoting a square having a specified length on each sidea board four feet square contains 16 square feet

fair and honest (esp in the phrase a square deal)

straight, even, or levela square surface

cricket at right angles to the wicketsquare leg

sport in a straight line across the pitcha square pass

nautical (of the sails of a square-rigger) set at right angles to the keel

informal old-fashioned in views, customs, appearance, etc

stocky or sturdysquare shoulders

(postpositive) having no remaining debts or accounts to be settled

(of a horse's gait) sound, steady, or regular

(prenominal) unequivocal or straightforwarda square contradiction

(postpositive) neat and tidy

maths (of a matrix) having the same number of rows and columns

all square on equal terms; even in score

square peg or square peg in a round hole informal a person or thing that is a misfit, such as an employee in a job for which he is unsuited

verb (mainly tr)

to make into a square or similar shape

maths to raise (a number or quantity) to the second power

to test or adjust for deviation with respect to a right angle, plane surface, etc

(sometimes foll by off) to divide into squares

to position so as to be rectangular, straight, or levelsquare the shoulders

(sometimes foll by up) to settle (debts, accounts, etc)

to level (the score) in a game, etc

(also intr often foll by with) to agree or cause to agreeyour ideas don't square with mine

rowing to turn (an oar) perpendicular to the surface of the water just before commencing a stroke

(in canoeing) to turn (a paddle) perpendicular to the direction of the canoe at the commencement of a strokeCompare feather (def. 15)

to arrange (something), esp by a corrupt method or come to an arrangement with (someone), as by bribery

square the circle to attempt the impossible (in reference to the insoluble problem of constructing a square having exactly the same area as a given circle)

adverb

in order to be square

at right angles

sport in a straight line across the pitchpass the ball square

informal squarely

See also square away, square off, square up

Derived forms of square

squareness, nounsquarer, nounsquarish, adjective

Word Origin for square

C13: from Old French esquare, from Vulgar Latin exquadra (unattested), from Latin ex 1 + quadrāre to make square; see quadrant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for square

square

[ skwâr ]

Noun

A rectangle having four equal sides.

The product that results when a number or quantity is multiplied by itself. The square of 8, for example, is 64.

Adjective

Of, being, or using units that express the measure of area.

Verb

To multiply a number, quantity, or expression by itself.

Cultural definitions for square

square

A number multiplied by itself, or raised to the second power. The square of three is nine; the square of nine is eighty-one.

Idioms and Phrases with square

square

In addition to the idioms beginning with square

square away
square deal
square meal, a
square off
square one's shoulders
square peg in a round hole
square the circle
square up
square with

also see:

back to the drawing board (square one)
fair and square
on the square
round peg in a square hole
shoot straight (square)

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

square

noun

verb (used with object), squared, squar·ing.