gauge

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
gauge /geɪdʒ/ (chiefly US also gage)

▶noun

• 1 an instrument that measures and gives a visual display of the amount, level, or contents of something.

• 2 the thickness, size, or capacity of a wire, sheet, tube, bullet, etc., especially as a standard measure.

• 3 the distance between the rails of a line of railway track.

• 4 Nautical, archaic the position of a sailing vessel to windward (the weather gage) or leeward (the lee gage) of another.

▶verb

• 1 estimate or determine the amount or level of.

  ■ judge or assess (a situation, mood, etc.).

• 2 measure the dimensions of with a gauge.

  ■ (as adj. gauged) made in standard dimensions.

– derivatives
gaugeable adjective,
gauger noun.

– origin ME: from OFr. gauge (n.), gauger (v.), var. of Old North. Fr. jauge, jauger, of unknown origin.