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Added 8 October 2026

square

/skwɛə/ noun

Categories: Describing WordsPlacesEveryday Words

In Latin: quadrum, quadrātum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about square at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A polygon with four straight sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.
  2. Something characterized by a square, or nearly square, form. A cell in a grid.
    You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.
  3. A cell in a grid.
    You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.

adjective

  1. Shaped like a square (the polygon).
  2. Forming a right angle (90°).
    a square corner
  3. Forming right angles in all planes as intended; not racked or leaning.
    The foundation has to be level and the framing has to be square.

adverb

  1. Directly.

verb

  1. To adjust so as to align with or place at a right angle to something else; in particular:
    The casting was mounted on a milling machine so that its sides could be squared.
  2. To place at a right angle to the mast or keel.
    to square the yards
  3. To rotate the oars so that they are perpendicular to the water.

Origin

From Middle English square, sqware, squyre; from Old French esquarre, esquerre, (modern French équerre), from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, from Latin ex- + quadro, from quadrus (compare English quad and quadra). Doublet of squad and squadra. Displaced Old English fēowerecge (fēower nominative + ecg accusative, as in "four-edged").

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: quadrateright-angledsquarelyfoursquaresquarishconventionalpaidhonorablehoneststraightstraightforwarddirect

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