square measure

American  

noun

1. a system of units for the measurement of surfaces or areas.

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square measure British  

noun

1. a unit or system of units for measuring areas

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Etymology

Origin of square measure

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

square measure

The unit adopted for square measure was the are, equal to 100 square meters; for solid measure, the stère, equal to one cubic meter; and for measure of capacity, the litre, a cubic decimeter.

From Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 437 Volume 17, New Series, May 15, 1852 by William Chambers

Professor Oppert, Dr. Eisenlohr, M. Thureau-Dangin, and others have discussed at length the plan of a field,644 which has the sides of several plots given in linear measure and the areas in square measure.

From Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters by C. H. W. (Claude Hermann Walter) Johns

Layout the strip of canvas on the floor and cut one end square; measure up 8 inches along the edge and draw a line to the other corner.

From Boy Scouts Handbook The First Edition, 1911 by Boy Scouts of America

The "square measure," upon which the coinage, if I may so call it is based, following exactly the measure of length, each larger area in the ascending scale represents 144 times that below it.

From Across the Zodiac by Percy Greg

The Academy dictionary gives mojoda as a square measure, deriving it from the low Latin modiata from modius.

From The Northmen, Columbus and Cabot, 985-1503 by Julius E. Olson