size

Universal Words noun, verb noun how large / small 1 [U,C] how large or small a person or thing is: an area the size of (= the same size as) Wales * They complained about the size of their gas bill. * Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. * The facilities are excellent for a town that size. * The kitchen is a good size (= not small). * It's similar in size to a tomato. 2 [U] the large amount or extent of sth: You should have seen the size of their house! * We were shocked at the size of his debts. of clothes / shoes / goods 3 [C] one of a number of standard measurements in which clothes, shoes and other goods are made and sold: The jacket was the wrong size. * It's not my size. * They didn't have the jacket in my size. * She's a size 12 in clothes. * The hats are made in three sizes: small, medium and large. * I need a bigger / smaller size. * What size do you take? * She takes a size 5 in shoes. * Try this one for size (= to see if it is the correct size). * The glass can be cut to size (= cut to the exact measurements) for you. HELPNOTE To ask about the size of something, you usually say How big? You use What size? to ask about something that is produced in fixed measurements. -sized / -size 4 (in adjectives) having the size mentioned: a medium-sized house * Cut it into bite-size pieces. seealsoKING-SIZE, MAN-SIZED, PINT-SIZED, QUEEN-SIZE sticky substance 5 [U] a sticky substance that is used for making material stiff or for preparing walls for WALLPAPER IDIOMS cut sb down to size to show sb that they are not as important as they think they are that's about the size of it (spoken) that's how the situation seems to be: 'So they won't pay up?' 'That's about the size of it.' verb [VN] give size 1 [usuallypassive] to mark the size of sth; to give a size to sth: The screws are sized in millimetres. change size 2 [usuallypassive] to change the size of sth: The fonts can be sized according to what effect you want. make sticky 3 to cover sth with a sticky substance called SIZE PHRASALVERBS size sb/sth<->up (informal) to form a judgement or an opinion about sb/sth SYNSUMUP: She knew that he was looking at her, sizing her up. * He sized up the situation very quickly.