measure

Universal Words verb, noun verb size / quantity 1 ~ sb/sth (for sth) to find the size, quantity, etc. of sth in standard units: [VN] A ship's speed is measured in knots. * a device that measures the level of radiation in the atmosphere * He's gone to be measured for a new suit. * measuring equipment / instruments * [Vwh-] A dipstick is used to measure how much oil is left in an engine. 2 linking verb [V-N] (not used in the progressive tenses) to be a particular size, length, amount, etc: The main bedroom measures 12ft by 15ft. * The pond measures about 2 metres across. judge 3 to judge the importance, value or effect of sth SYNASSESS: [VN] It is difficult to measure the success of the campaign at this stage. * Regular tests are used to measure students' progress. [also Vwh-] PHRASALVERBS measure sb/sth against sb/sth to compare sb/sth with sb/sth: The figures are not very good when measured against those of our competitors. * a series of tasks that measure candidates against each other measure sth<->out to take the amount of sth that you need from a larger amount: He measured out a cup of milk and added it to the mixture. measure up