Word.ws English Dictionary

square

UK/skwɛə/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

British/skwɛː/

square noun: a polygon with four straight sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral. Also the ellipsis of square meal.

square: a polygon with four straight sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle;...
Image: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

square (plural squares)

  1. A polygon with four straight sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.
    • I took refuge in the square form and exhibited a picture which consisted of nothing more than a black square on a white field.1927, Kazimir Malevich, The Non-Objective World
  2. A cell in a grid.
    • You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.
  3. A square piece, part, or surface.
    • a square of glass
  4. The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.
  5. (Canada, US) A dessert cut into rectangular pieces, or a piece of such a dessert.
  6. A certain number of lines, forming a portion of a column, nearly square; used chiefly in reckoning the prices of advertisements in newspapers.
  7. An L- or T-shaped tool used to place objects or draw lines at right angles.
    • There are so many uses for the square, in fact, that a new model will usually come complete with a booklet enumerating its applications.a. 2018, Bob Vila, “Carpenter squares”, in Bob Vila, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2008
    1. (figuratively, obsolete) A true measure, standard, or pattern.
  8. An open space or park, often in the center of a town, not necessarily square in shape, often containing trees, seating and other features pleasing to the eye.
    • The statue of Alexander the Seventh stands in the large square of the town.1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC
    • You're not in Wisconsin, Dave. The big story isn't about a cow wandering into the town square.1995 October 10, NewsRadio, season 2, episode 3
    Synonyms:
    piazza, plaza
    1. (often) A street surrounding a public square or plaza.
  9. The product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself; the second power of a number, value, term or expression.
    • 64 is the square of 8.
    • Newton's law of gravitation, universally accepted by scientists even in the face of a fifth force, showed that any two objects attract each other at a rate directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of their distance apart.1989 May, John Boslough, “Searching for the Secrets of Gravity”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, pages 573-574
    Antonyms:
    square root
  10. A pattern to be matched that consists of a subpattern repeated, such as "papa" or "wikiwiki".
    • Squares cannot be easily matched by regular expressions.
  11. (military formation) A body of troops drawn up in a square formation.
    • he alone
      Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practice had
      In the brave squares of warc. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...
    • The French cavalry, in proof armour, repeatedly charged our squares, their cannon opening chasms; but the British infantry, though greatly diminished, were inflexible and impenetrable to the last.1818, quoted in Christopher Kelly, History of the French Revolution and of the Wars produced by that Memorable Event
  12. (dated, 1950s slang) A socially conventional or conservative person; a person who has little or no interest in the latest fads or trends.
    • Why do you always wear a tie? Don't be such a square!
    • Good looks are important, but good looks don't hold if he's a square.1949 March 11, “R.S.V.P.”, in Courier, volume xv, number 9, Harvey, IL: Thornton Junior College, page 3
Show 12 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. (UK) The symbol # on a telephone; hash.
    • Enter your account number followed by a square.
    Synonyms:
    hash, sharp, pound sign
  2. The central area of a cricket field, with one or more pitches of which only one is used at a time.
    • An ideal playing area is roughly circular in shape with a central area, the cricket square, measuring 27.44 metres by 27.44 metres and boundaries 45.75 metres from the sides of the square.
  3. A unit of measurement of area, equal to a 10 foot by 10 foot square, i.e. 100 square feet or roughly 9.3 square metres. Used in real estate for the size of a house or its rooms, though progressively being replaced by square metres in metric countries such as Australia.
    • Just as the basic unit of real estate measurement across the world is the square2006, Macquarie Bank (Australia), press release Macquarie releases Real Estate Market Outlook 2006 - "The World Squared", 21 June 2006...
    • The house is very large and open and boasts 39 squares of living space plus over 13 squares of decking area on 3 sides and 17 squares of garage and workshop downstairs.2007, Your Estate advertisement for Grindelwald Tasmania http://www.yourestate.com.au/property_12753.php
  4. A unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m²) of roof area. The materials for roofing jobs are often billed by the square in the United States.
  5. A mortarboard.
  6. (archaic) Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.
    • They of Galatia [were] much more out of square.1594-1597, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
    • I have not kept my square.c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...
  7. The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
    • We live not on the square with such as these.1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Third Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […]...
  8. The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.
  9. (dated) The act of squaring, or quarrelling; a quarrel.
  10. (slang) Cigarette.
  11. A vat used for fermentation.
  12. (Multicultural-London-English, slang) A well-defined torso.
    • She wanna talk about feelings
      But I don't believe in love
      Just give me your square2019 July 24, “No Feelings”, Quezgo (lyrics)Link Up TV, 0:14–0:19
    • I don’t really care about them man there
      Tell the bad b “just swing your square”2021 September 29, “Bars At The Sesh [S3.E7]”, #D15 Trigz (lyrics)Dearfxch TV, 1:05–1:08

Adjective

square (comparative squarer, superlative squarest)

  1. Shaped like a square (the polygon).
    • The huge square box, parquet-floored and high-ceilinged, had been arranged to display a suite of bedroom furniture designed and made in the halcyon days of the last quarter of the nineteenth century, […].1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC
  2. Forming a right angle (90°).
    • a square corner
    • Take care to make the cut completely square to the edges of the wire to give a good butt join for the ends of the wire.2017, Julia Rai, Making Metal Clay Jewellery
    1. 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.
      • The stacks had to be neat and square or the old guy grumbled and insisted on getting it just so.2019, Bruce W. Herdman, Ozarks Lite
    2. Forming right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.
  3. Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself.
    • A floor that measures 4 feet square has an area of 16 square feet.
    • square mile
  4. Honest; straightforward; fair.
    • I'm just looking for a square deal on my car repair.
    • square dealing
  5. Satisfied; comfortable with; not experiencing any conflict.
    • By the confident tone in her voice, you can tell she is square with that.2007, Lauren Heaton, Holly Bollinger, Catherine Lee Phillips, Susan Gartner, Women of the Harvest, page 63
    • " […] I will never act on it, but if you're satisfied with the way things are then I am, too. […] So, are we square?”2009, Ramona Holliday, Winter Murders
  6. Even; tied
    • to make or leave the accounts square
    • The sides were square at the end of the half.
  7. (derogatory, slang) Socially conventional; boring.
    • It was a square town, but that didn't bother me. I knew I didn't have to live a square life.1974, Jack Olsen, The Girls on the Campus, page 100
    • The square Johns lie more than the in-guys do.1990, A. W. Gray, In Defense of Judges
    Synonyms:
    bourgeois
  8. In line with the batsman's popping crease.
  9. Solid, decent, substantial.
    • It may be prison, but at least I'm getting three square meals a day.
    • By Heaven, square eaters. More meat, I say.c. 1613 (first performance), John Fletcher, “The Tragedie of Bonduca”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act II...
  10. Having a shape broad for the height, with angular rather than curving outlines.
    • a man of a square frame
  11. Of an internal combustion engine design, in which the diameter of the piston is similar, roughly, approximately, equal to its stroke distance.

Adverb

square (comparative more square, superlative most square)

  1. Directly.
    • Staash tipped up the rim of his hat and looked me square in the eyes as the cigarette dangled from his lips.2012, Allan A. Zarbock, Nobody, page 211

Verb

square (third-person singular simple present squares, present participle squaring, simple past and past participle squared)

  1. (transitive) 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. (transitive) To place at a right angle to the mast or keel.
    • to square the yards
  3. (transitive) To rotate the oars so that they are perpendicular to the water.
  4. (ambitransitive) To resolve or reconcile; to suit or fit.
    • John can square this question up for us.
    • These results just don't square with what we expected.
  5. (transitive) To adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something.
    • I cannot square the results of the experiment with my hypothesis.
    • to square our actions by the opinions of others
  6. (transitive) Of a value, term, or expression, to multiply by itself; to raise to the second power.
  7. (transitive) To draw, with a pair of compasses and a straightedge only, a square with the same area as.
    • square the circle
  8. (transitive) To tile (completely fill) with squares.
  9. (slang) To settle; to put right.
    • 'Sounds fine,' said Bond. 'I've talked to M and he'll square Washington if there's any trouble. Look after yourself too,' he added.1954, Ian Fleming, “True or False?”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 90
  10. To make a short low pass sideways across the pitch
    • First, former Toffee Mikel Arteta sent Walcott racing clear but instead of shooting he squared towards Ramsey, who was foiled by Tony Hibbert.2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, in BBC Sport
  11. (archaic) To take opposing sides; to quarrel.
  12. To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to suit; to fit.
    • No works shall find acceptance […] that square not truly with the Scripture plan.1782, William Cowper, Charity
Show 6 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. (obsolete) To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
    • Are you such fools / To square for this?c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
  2. To take a boxing attitude; often with up or off.
    • There we stood, well squared up before it, shoulder to shoulder, and foot to foot, with our hands behind us, not budging an inch.1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC
  3. To form with four sides and four right angles.
    • A stately pallace built of squared bricke,
      Which cunningly was without morter laid1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
  4. To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces.
    • to square mason's work
    • Everything on his writing desk was squared off: blotter, paper knife, pen rack.2002, William Boyd, Any Human Heart
  5. To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.
    • to square the general sex By Cressid's rulec. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
  6. To hold a quartile position respecting.
    • the icy Goat, the Crab that square the Scales1697, Thomas Creech, The five books of M. Manilius containing a system of the ancient astronomy and astrology, done into English verse

Proper noun capitalized: Square

Square (plural Squares)

  1. A surname.

Also used as

square is also the ellipsis of square meal.

square meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

square in Hindi

open space in a town
चौक cauk
type of polygon
वर्गाकार vargākār, चौकोर caukor

square in Tamil

type of polygon
கட்டம் kaṭṭam, சதுரம் caturam

square in Marathi

open space in a town
चौक ċauk
type of polygon
चौरस ċauras, चौकोन caukon
second power
वर्ग varga
unit of measurement of area
चौरस cauras

square in Urdu

open space in a town
مَیدان maidān, چَوک cauk
type of polygon
مُرَبَّع murabba'
More languagesFewer languages
square in Bengali
বর্গ borgo
square in Telugu
చతురస్రం caturasraṁ, వర్గం vargaṁ, చతురస్ర caturasra, చదరపు cadarapu
square in Malayalam
കവല kavala, ചത്വരം catvaraṁ, സമചതുരം samacaturaṁ, വർഗ്ഗം vaṟggaṁ
square in Kannada
ಚೌಕ cauka, ಚದರ cadara
square in Gujarati
ચોરસ coras
square in Nepali
चोक cok, वर्ग varga
square in Pashto
ميدان maydān, مربع moraba'
square in Tagalog
kuwadrado, parisukat
square in Arabic
كُوس kūs, مُرَبَّع murabbaʕ, مَيْدَان maydān
square in Malay
sesiku, dataran, segi empat sama, petak
square in Indonesian
lapangan, persegi, pagar, kotak
square in Thai
สแควร์ sà-kwɛɛ, จัตุรัส jàt-dtù-ràt, ลาน laan, พลาซ่า plaa-sâa
square in Vietnamese
quảng trường, vuông, hình vuông, bình phương
square in Myanmar
ရင်ပြင် rangprang, စတုရန်း ca.tu.ran:

Examples of square in a sentence

  • Why, you would not be boosing till lightman's in a square crib like mine, as if you were in a flash panny?1828, Edward Bulwer Lytton Baron Lytton, Pelham, Or, Adventures of a Gentleman:
  • These things seem trifling enough to repeat, but I had throughout the faint feeling that everything was not square.1908, Perceval Landon, Thurnley Abbey:
  • The teams were square while at even strength. have to play better than even if we want to win games." said Montreal goalie Jose Theodore2000 December 16, “Islanders, Devils Make It Tough For Canadian Teams”, in Bryan Times:
  • But the Jays were square again by the end of the inning, as Myers hit a 2-and-0 pitch into the left-center field seats2003 April 9, “Lowe Struggles Again In Sox Setback”, in Record-Journal:

All 40 example sentences with square

Synonyms of square

14 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of square

Forms of square

Noun
pluralsquares
Adjective
comparativesquarer
superlativesquarest
Adverb
comparativemore square
superlativemost square
Verb
third-person singular presentsquares
present participlesquaring
past participlesquared
pastsquared
Proper noun
pluralSquares

Past tense of square: squared

Plural of square: squares

Origin of square

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").

Words formed from square

Phrases with square

146 more phrasesFewer phrases

Questions about square

What does square mean?
Square means a polygon with four straight sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.
What is square in Hindi?
Square in Hindi is चौक (cauk), वर्गाकार (vargākār), चौकोर (caukor). See Square meaning in Hindi.
How do you use square in a sentence?
Why, you would not be boosing till lightman's in a square crib like mine, as if you were in a flash panny?
What part of speech is square?
Square can be a noun, an adjective, an adverb or a verb.
How do you pronounce square?
Square is pronounced /skwɛə/ (UK).
What is the plural of square?
The plural of square is squares.

Words near square in the dictionary

  1. squaraine
  2. squaraines
  3. squaramide
  4. squarate
  5. squarates
  6. square
  7. Square and Compass
  8. square annuli
  9. square annulus
  10. square around
  11. square away

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: square (page history and authors); Square (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-square.wav, En-au-square.ogg.

Cite this entry: “square.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/square. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.