square
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.
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.
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.
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.
so as to be square; in square or rectangular form.
at right angles.
fairly or honestly.
directly or straightforwardly.
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. See entry at square up.
Idioms about 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
1Other words for square
Other words from square
- squar·a·ble, adjective
- square·like, adjective
- square·ness, noun
- squar·er, noun
- un·squar·a·ble, adjective
- un·squared, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use square in a sentence
The street is closed to traffic and kids run unfettered across inviting hopscotch squares and bicycle lanes.
Allah, Mom, and Baklava: Turkish President Uses Mothers and Kids as Political Pawns | Xanthe Ackerman | November 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTVenetians sip their coffee in quiet squares and walk their dogs along the waterfront with nary a tourist in sight.
After the Wedding: George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin in Venice | Barbie Latza Nadeau | September 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNow, the smooth-faced look like the creepy ones, the squares.
Leo, the Beard Has to Go: When a Man’s Facial Hair Reaches Crisis Point | Tim Teeman | September 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTEven the watermelon he serves me is in keeping with a certain aesthetic—perfectly arranged squares, like a Mondrian painting.
Gosta Peterson's Bohemian Rhapsody: Unpacking a Photographer's '60s Secrets | Lizzie Crocker | September 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere could also be wireless-free areas of libraries, coffee shops, public squares, and office buildings.
Troops are now stationed every where round the country, which exactly squares with my ideas.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousIn vain the French cavalry charged the English squares, still unshaken by artillery and infantry fire.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-PattisonI don't suppose he lies;—he sells it to the editor, who knows how many squares off "Sumatra" is.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousThe brown loaf was cut by a very excited little hostess into five thick squares; the cheese into four.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler WarnerTheir view extended down the hillside divided into brown and green squares of cultivated fields.
Honey-Bee | Anatole France
British Dictionary definitions for square
/ (skwɛə) /
any object, part, or arrangement having this or a similar shape: a 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 power: 9 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, etc: See 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 Freemason: he is on the square
out of square
not at right angles or not having a right angle
not in order or agreement
being a square in shape
having or forming one or more right angles or being at right angles to something
square or rectangular in section: a square bar
(prenominal) denoting a measure of area of any shape: a circle of four square feet
(immediately postpositive) denoting a square having a specified length on each side: a board four feet square contains 16 square feet
fair and honest (esp in the phrase a square deal)
straight, even, or level: a square surface
cricket at right angles to the wicket: square leg
sport in a straight line across the pitch: a 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 sturdy: square shoulders
(postpositive) having no remaining debts or accounts to be settled
(of a horse's gait) sound, steady, or regular
(prenominal) unequivocal or straightforward: a 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
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 level: square 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 agree: your 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 stroke: Compare 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)
in order to be square
at right angles
sport in a straight line across the pitch: pass the ball square
informal squarely
Origin of square
1- See also square away, square off, square up
Derived forms of square
- squareness, noun
- squarer, noun
- squarish, adjective
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
[ skwâr ]
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.
Of, being, or using units that express the measure of area.
To multiply a number, quantity, or expression by itself.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for 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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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