/ skweə(r); NAmE skwer/ adjective , noun , verb , adverb
■ adjective
SHAPE
1.
( geometry ) having four straight equal sides and four angles of 90° :
a square room
2.
forming an angle of 90° exactly or approximately :
The book had rounded, not square, corners.
square shoulders
He had a firm, square jaw.
MEASUREMENT
3.
used after a unit of measurement to say that sth measures the same amount on each of four sides :
a carpet four metres square
4.
( abbr. sq ) used after a number to give a measurement of area :
an area of 36 square metres
BROAD / SOLID
5.
used to describe sth that is broad or that looks solid in shape :
a man of square build
—see also four-square
LEVEL / PARALLEL
6.
[ not before noun ] square (with sth) level with or parallel to sth :
tables arranged square with the wall
WITH MONEY
7.
( informal ) if two people are square , neither of them owes money to the other :
Here's the £10 I owe you—now we're square.
IN SPORT
8.
square (with sb) if two teams are square , they have the same number of points :
The teams were all square at half-time.
FAIR / HONEST
9.
fair or honest, especially in business matters :
a square deal
Are you being square with me?
IN AGREEMENT
10.
square with sth in agreement with sth :
That isn't quite square with what you said yesterday.
BORING
11.
( informal , disapproving ) ( of a person ) considered to be boring, for example, because they are old-fashioned or work too hard at school
•
IDIOMS
- a square meal
- a square peg (in a round hole)
■ noun
SHAPE
1.
[ C ] a shape with four straight sides of equal length and four angles of 90°; a piece of sth that has this shape :
First break the chocolate into squares.
The floor was tiled in squares of grey and white marble.
—see also set square , T-square
IN TOWN
2.
[ C ] an open area in a town, usually with four sides, surrounded by buildings :
The hotel is just off the main square .
the market / town / village square
3.
Square [ sing. ] ( abbr. Sq. ) (used in addresses):
They live at 95 Russell Square.
MATHEMATICS
4.
[ C ] the number obtained when you multiply a number by itself :
The square of 7 is 49.
BORING PERSON
5.
[ C ] ( informal , disapproving ) a person who is considered to be boring, for example because they are old-fashioned or because they work too hard at school
•
IDIOMS
- back to square one
■ verb
[ vn ]
SHAPE
1.
square sth (off) to make sth have straight edges and corners :
It was like trying to square a circle . That is, it was impossible.
The boat is rounded at the front but squared off at the back.
MATHEMATICS
2.
[ usually passive ] to multiply a number by itself :
Three squared is written 3 2 .
Four squared equals 16.
SHOULDERS
3.
if you square yourself, or square your shoulders, you make your back and shoulders straight to show you are ready or determined to do sth :
Bruno squared himself to face the waiting journalists.
IN SPORT
4.
( especially BrE ) to make the number of points you have scored in a game or competition equal to those of your opponents :
His goal squared the game 1–1.
PAY MONEY
5.
( informal ) to pay money to sb in order to get their help :
They must have squared the mayor before they got their plan underway.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- square sth away
- square off (against sb)
- square up (to sb/sth)
- square up (with sb)
- square sth with sth | square with sth
- square sth with sb
■ adverb
(only used after the verb) directly; not at an angle
SYN squarely :
I looked her square in the face.
•
IDIOMS
see fair adverb
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : shortening of Old French esquare (noun), esquarre (past participle, used as an adjective), esquarrer (verb), based on Latin quadra square.