INDEX:
1. how big or small something is
2. the amount of something that something can contain
3. to be a particular size
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ BIG
↑ SMALL
↑ TALL
↑ HIGH
↑ WIDE
↑ NARROW
↑ MEASURE
↑ FIT/NOT FIT
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1. how big or small something is
▷ size /saɪz/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ What size is that shirt?
▪ Your desk is exactly the same size as mine.
the size of
▪ The price will depend on the size and quality of the carpet.
(be) the size of
the same size as something else
▪ Fire has destroyed an area of forest the size of Luxembourg.
(be) twice/half/three times etc the size of
twice as big, half as big etc as something else
▪ The seeds are very small, about half the size of a grain of salt.
of different/various sizes
▪ There were several pieces of wood of different sizes.
double/triple etc in size
▪ Cover the dough and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size.
grow/increase/shrink etc in size
▪ The black spots on her skin seemed to be slowly increasing in size.
vary/differ/range etc in size
▪ The American states vary enormously in size, from very large to very small.
(of) this/that size
as big as this one or that one
▪ In a class this size, there will always be a few problems.
▷ how big /haʊ ˈbɪg/ [adjective phrase]
use this to ask or talk about the size of something :
▪ How big is the table? Do you think it’ll fit in the trunk?
▪ How big is the Dead Sea?
▪ We need to know how big the rooms are.
▷ area /ˈe ə riə/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the amount of space that a flat surface such as a floor or field covers :
area of
▪ The boat’s sail had an area of more than 50 square yards.
▪ Calculate the area of the walls and ceiling before you buy the paint.
surface area
▪ The rate at which an ice cube melts depends on its surface area.
▷ dimensions /daɪˈmenʃ ə nz, də̇-/ [plural noun]
the height, width, and length of an object, building etc - use this especially to give exact measurements :
▪ The dimensions are printed on the side of the box.
dimensions of
▪ What are the dimensions of the dining-room table?
▷ extent /ɪkˈstent/ [uncountable noun]
the size of a large area :
▪ The extent of the Red Creek ranch is enormous.
in extent
▪ The principality measured about 16,500 kilometres in extent.
2. the amount of something that something can contain
▷ capacity /kəˈpæsɪti, kəˈpæsəti/ [singular noun]
the amount that a container will hold :
capacity of
▪ The capacity of the tank should be 500 gallons or more.
▪ The computer’s memory has a capacity of over 200 megabytes.
be filled to capacity
▪ All the storage units were filled to capacity.
▷ volume /ˈvɒljuːmǁˈvɑːljəm/ [uncountable noun]
the amount of space that a substance fills or an object contains :
volume of
▪ Help me figure out the volume of this fish tank.
▪ The shifting of continents has an impact on the volume of water the oceans can contain.
3. to be a particular size
▷ be 5 metres high/2 miles long/6 centimetres wide etc /biː ˌfaɪv miːtəʳz ˈhaɪ/ [verb phrase]
use this to say how high, how long etc something is :
▪ The river Nile is over 6,000 kilometres long.
▪ In some places the path is only a couple of feet wide.
▷ be 10 metres by 5 metres/be 10 inches by 8 inches etc /biː ˌten miːtəʳz baɪ ˈfaɪv miːtəʳz/
use this to say what the size of an area, object, or room is, for example, 10 metres by 5 metres means 10 metres long and 5 metres wide :
▪ The kitchen is 4 metres by 2 metres.
▪ The publicity photos are 8 by 10 inches.
▷ measure /ˈmeʒəʳ/ [verb not in progressive]
to be a particular size, length, or amount :
measure 10 metres/6 feet etc
▪ The tree in the backyard measures 30 feet in height.
▪ Put the soil into a sack measuring 50 centimetres across.
measure 10 m by 15 m/5 cm by 20 cm etc
▪ The foam seat pad measures 19 by 22 inches and is a quarter-inch thick.
▷ cover /ˈkʌvəʳ/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
if something such as a city or a forest covers a particular area, it is the same size as that area :
▪ The building is nine stories high and covers three city blocks.
▪ St Anne’s Wood isn’t very big - it only covers a few miles.
▷ extend over /ɪkˈstend əʊvəʳ/ [verb phrase]
if something such as a system or type of land extends over a large area, that is the size of the area in which it is used or exists :
▪ Rice fields extend over two-thirds of the area.
▪ The irrigation system extends over the whole country but is difficult to maintain.