size
Forms
- Plural
- sizes
- present (v1)
- size
- past (v2)
- sized
- past participle (v3)
- sized
- present participle
- sizing
- 3rd person singular
- sizes
Definitions
1.The dimensions or magnitude of a thing; how big something is.
- The size of the building seemed to have increased since I was last there.
2.A specific set of dimensions for a manufactured article, especially clothing.
- I don't think we have the red one in your size.
- What size are you? I mean, what size shoes do you take?
3.The number of edges in a graph.
- Do you know your size?
4.An instrument consisting of a number of perforated gauges fastened together at one end by a rivet, used for measuring the size of pearls
- Edward H[enry] Knight (1877), “Size”, in Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary. […], volumes III (REA–ZYM), New York, N.Y.: Hurd and Houghton […], →OCLC.
1.To adjust the size of; to make a certain size.
- I milled all the stock to size, and because it was air-dried, I did it in stages. […] Once the material is sized, it's time to cut the finger joints, which are really the star of the show.
2.To classify or arrange by size.
- However, SDS-PAGE consistently sized most of the proteins smaller than the ProteoAnalyzer, resulting in a larger percent difference between the two systems.
3.To approximate the dimensions, estimate the size of.(colloquial)
4.To take a greater size; to increase in size.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #839
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
Attested since the 14th century, originally meant a “law or regulation that determines the amount to be paid”, from Middle English syse, sise (“regulation, control, limit”), from Old French cise, sise, aphetism of assise (“assize”), from the verb asseoir (“to sit down”), from Latin assidēre, composed of ad- (“to, towards, at”) + sedeō (“sit; settle down”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed-.