gauge
gauge — 動詞
1. to take an exact reading of the size, amount, speed, or pressure of something wi
測量；計量
用儀器測量尺寸或數量
to take an exact reading of the size, amount, speed, or pressure of something with a tool such as a ruler, thermometer, or pressure meter
Amani used a thermometer to gauge the temperature of the bath water before getting in.
Amani 用溫度計測量洗澡水的溫度之後才進浴缸。
gauge + noun phrase with measuring tool
The mechanic gauged the depth of the tyre tread with a small plastic tool.
技師用一個小型塑膠工具測量輪胎胎紋的深度。
gauge the depth of [something]
Karim held a tape measure against the log to gauge its diameter before cutting it.
Karim 拿著捲尺靠著木頭，先測量直徑再下刀切割。
The weather station uses special equipment to gauge wind speed throughout the day.
氣象站用特殊設備全天測量風速。
文法句型
gauge + noun phrase
gauge + wh-clause
用法筆記
Often used with the name of the instrument (thermometer, pressure gauge, ruler) in the same sentence.
常見錯誤
2. to form an opinion about a situation, someone's feelings, or the likely result o
判斷；評估
透過觀察形成看法或推測
to form an opinion about a situation, someone's feelings, or the likely result of something, often by noticing small signs or behaviour
Stephanie tried to gauge her manager's mood before asking for a day off.
Stephanie 試著判斷主管的心情，再開口請假。
gauge + someone's mood / feelings
It is hard to gauge how much food we will need for the party on Saturday.
很難判斷星期六的派對需要準備多少食物。
gauge + how much / how many / whether
Hannah paused to gauge whether anyone at the table was upset by her comment.
Hannah 停下來觀察餐桌上是否有人因為她的話而感到不悅。
Teachers use short quizzes to gauge what students have already learned before starting a new topic.
老師用小型測驗來評估學生在開始新單元前已經學會了哪些內容。
文法句型
gauge + noun phrase
gauge + whether/wh-clause
用法筆記
Unlike 'measure', this sense does not involve a physical instrument. The object is often an abstract thing: mood, reaction, opinion, ability, or need. Frequently used with whether, how much, how many, or what.
常見錯誤
3. to gradually enlarge the hole in one's earlobe by inserting increasingly larger
擴耳
將耳垂的耳洞逐漸撐大
to gradually enlarge the hole in one's earlobe by inserting increasingly larger jewellery or spacers over time
Lukas has been gauging his ears for two years and now wears wooden tunnels.
Lukas 擴耳已經兩年了，現在戴的是木質耳擴。
gauge + ears / earlobes (body modification)
The piercer told Brooke not to gauge her ears too quickly to avoid tearing the skin.
穿洞師告訴 Brooke 不要擴耳太快，以免撕裂皮膚。
Sari decided to gauge only her left earlobe because she prefers a mismatched look.
Sari 決定只擴左耳，因為她喜歡不對稱的造型。
Karim watched a tutorial before gauging his own ears to make sure he did it safely.
Karim 在擴自己的耳朵之前先看了教學影片，以確保操作安全。
文法句型
gauge + noun phrase (earlobe / ear)
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively for ear piercing. The process requires patience — stretching too fast can cause injury.
gauge — 名詞
1. a tool with a numbered scale or screen that tells you the size, amount, pressure
量規；測量器
顯示數值或等級的測量工具
a tool with a numbered scale or screen that tells you the size, amount, pressure, or speed of whatever you want to check
The rain gauge in the garden showed that fifty millimetres had fallen overnight.
花園裡的雨量計顯示，一夜之間降下了五十毫米的雨量。
rain gauge / fuel gauge / pressure gauge — compound nouns for specific measuring tools
A fuel gauge on the dashboard tells the driver how much petrol the car has left.
儀錶板上的油量表會告訴駕駛人車子還剩下多少汽油。
Kabir checked the pressure gauge before inflating the balloons for the children's party.
Kabir 在為孩子的派對吹氣球之前先檢查了壓力表。
The old temperature gauge on the boiler is hard to read because the numbers have faded.
鍋爐上的老舊溫度計數字已經模糊，很難讀取。
用法筆記
Often combined with a noun that names what is being measured: rain gauge, fuel gauge, pressure gauge, temperature gauge, speed gauge.
2. a small device that measures the amount of air inside a tyre, used to check whet
胎壓計
測量輪胎氣壓的工具
a small device that measures the amount of air inside a tyre, used to check whether the tyre has the correct pressure for safe driving
Jude used a tyre gauge to check if the car's back wheels needed more air.
Jude 用胎壓計檢查車子的後輪是否需要打氣。
tyre gauge — compound noun for car maintenance
A digital tyre gauge is easier to read than the old stick type with a sliding marker.
數位胎壓計比舊式附有滑動標記的棒狀胎壓計更容易讀取數據。
Hao keeps a small tyre gauge in the glove box for long road trips across the state.
Hao 在手套箱裡放了一個小型胎壓計，以備長途跨州旅行時使用。
Before a long trip, the driver checked each tyre with a portable gauge to ensure safe pressure.
長途旅行前，司機用隨身胎壓計檢查每個輪胎，確保壓力安全。
用法筆記
In American English, the spelling is 'tire gauge'. This sense overlaps with sense 1 (MEASURING DEVICE) but is worth listing separately because 'tyre gauge' is a very common compound that learners encounter frequently.
3. the exact spacing from one steel rail to the other on a train line, measured bet
軌距
鐵軌兩條鋼軌之間的距離
the exact spacing from one steel rail to the other on a train line, measured between the inner edges of the two rails
The railway line in this region uses standard gauge, so most trains can run on it.
這個地區的鐵路採用標準軌距，所以大部分列車都能行駛。
standard gauge / narrow gauge / broad gauge — common collocations
Japan's high-speed trains run on a different gauge from the older local railway lines.
日本的高速列車使用與當地舊式鐵路線不同的軌距。
Engineers checked the gauge of the track before allowing the new freight trains through the tunnel.
工程師在允許新型貨運列車通過隧道之前檢查了軌道的軌距。
Mountain railways in the Alps often use narrow gauge because the curves are too tight for standard trains.
阿爾卑斯山的山地鐵路常採用窄軌，因為彎道太急，標準列車無法通行。
用法筆記
Tracks can be 'standard gauge', 'narrow gauge', or 'broad gauge'. Most of the world's railways use standard gauge.
4. a standard measure of how thick a piece of material is, especially wire, sheet m
厚度；線徑
金屬線或薄板的粗細規格
a standard measure of how thick a piece of material is, especially wire, sheet metal, or a surgical needle — a smaller number means a thicker material
The electrician chose a cable with a thicker gauge to handle the higher electrical current.
電工選擇了線徑較粗的電纜，以承載更高的電流。
thicker gauge / thinner gauge — comparative forms
This jewellery wire comes in several gauges, from very thin for delicate work to quite thick for sturdy rings.
這款首飾用金屬線有好幾種粗細，從極細的編織用線到很粗的戒指用線都有。
A fourteen-gauge piercing needle is thicker than a twenty-gauge needle and creates a larger hole.
14號穿洞針比20號穿洞針更粗，穿出來的洞也更大。
The artist used a very fine gauge of wire to create delicate loops in the necklace.
藝術家使用極細的金屬線在項鍊上做出精緻的環圈。
用法筆記
In the gauge system for metal and wire, a higher number means a thinner material. For example, 20-gauge wire is thinner than 14-gauge wire. This is the opposite of what many learners expect.
常見錯誤
5. the width of the hollow space inside a tube, pipe, or gun barrel, measured acros
內徑；口徑
管道或槍管內部的直徑
the width of the hollow space inside a tube, pipe, or gun barrel, measured across its diameter
The plumber chose a pipe with a wider gauge to improve the water flow through the kitchen.
水管工選擇了口徑較大的水管，以改善廚房的出水量。
wider gauge / narrow gauge — describing pipe interior diameter
The engineer measured the gauge of the steel tube before welding it onto the frame of the scaffolding.
工程師在將鋼管焊接到鷹架框架上之前先測量了鋼管的內徑。
Pipes with a larger gauge allow more liquid to pass through at a lower pressure.
口徑較大的管子可以在較低的壓力下讓更多液體通過。
The factory replaced its old pipes with ones of a wider gauge to handle increased production.
工廠將舊水管換成口徑更大的管子，以應付增加的產量。
用法筆記
For gun barrels, gauge is expressed by a number followed by '-gauge' (e.g. 'twelve-gauge shotgun'). For pipes and tubes, it is usually described in millimetres or inches.
6. something that helps you form an opinion or make a judgment about a situation, e
指標；基準
用來評判事物好壞的依據
something that helps you form an opinion or make a judgment about a situation, especially about how successful, popular, or serious something is
The number of job applications a company receives is a good gauge of its reputation among workers.
一家公司收到的求職信數量是衡量該公司在求職者心目中聲譽的良好指標。
gauge of [something] — abstract measurement
Teachers use test results as a gauge of how well the class has understood the material.
老師以考試成績作為衡量全班學生理解程度的指標。
Public opinion polls provide a useful gauge of how people feel about the proposed changes to the law.
民意調查提供了一個有用的指標，可以看出民眾對法律修正案的看法。
The number of passengers on the bus is often a rough gauge of how busy the route will be later.
公車上的乘客人數往往是判斷該路線稍後會有多擁擠的大致指標。
文法句型
gauge of [something]
用法筆記
Always followed by 'of'. The phrase 'a gauge of [something]' is the standard pattern. Common in business and academic contexts.
7. an opening through the soft lower part of the ear that has been intentionally wi
擴大的耳洞
耳垂上被撐大的孔洞
an opening through the soft lower part of the ear that has been intentionally widened so that larger ornaments can be put through it
Tamar's ear gauges are now so large that she can see light through the holes.
Tamar 的耳洞現在大到可以透過洞口看到光線。
ear gauge — meaning the stretched hole itself
If you remove the jewellery and leave the stretched hole empty, it may shrink over time.
如果把飾品拿掉，讓擴大的耳洞空著，它可能會隨著時間慢慢縮小。
The piercer said the stretched hole in her left lobe had healed well with no signs of infection.
穿洞師說她左耳垂的擴耳洞已經癒合良好，沒有感染跡象。
After five years of wearing gauges, Tamar decided to let the hole in her left ear close up naturally.
佩戴耳擴飾品五年後，Tamar 決定讓左耳的耳洞自然閉合。
用法筆記
In body-modification communities, 'gauge' can refer either to the stretched hole (this sense) or to the jewellery worn in it (sense 8). Context usually makes the meaning clear.
8. an ornament worn inside an enlarged ear-piercing hole, typically ring-shaped, tu
耳擴飾品
戴在擴耳耳洞中的環形或圓盤形飾品
an ornament worn inside an enlarged ear-piercing hole, typically ring-shaped, tunnel-shaped, or disc-shaped, and crafted from materials such as wood, metal, stone, or silicone
Rodrigo bought a pair of wooden ear gauges hand-carved by an artisan in Thailand.
Rodrigo 買了一對由泰國工匠手工雕刻的木質耳擴飾品。
pair of ear gauges — common collocation for jewellery
Sari's silver gauges have a delicate leaf pattern etched into the surface by a jeweller.
Sari 的銀質耳擴飾品表面刻有精緻的葉紋圖案。
For the fashion show, the model wore transparent silicone gauges that looked like glass tunnels.
在時裝秀上，模特兒戴著透明矽膠耳擴飾品，看起來就像玻璃耳環。
The jewellery stall at the market sold handmade brass gauges with intricate patterns etched into the metal.
市集上的飾品攤位販售手工黃銅耳擴，金屬表面刻有精緻的圖案。
- ear tunnel
specifically a hollow gauge that shows the skin inside
- ear plug
a solid gauge that fills the hole completely
用法筆記
Common types of ear gauges include tunnels (hollow rings), plugs (solid discs), and saddles (half-tapered). They are usually sold and worn in pairs.
9. a suffix added after a number to indicate the internal width of a tube, gun barr
…號；…徑
與數字連用表示圓柱體內徑
a suffix added after a number to indicate the internal width of a tube, gun barrel, or needle according to a standard scale — a higher number means a narrower diameter
A twelve-gauge shotgun fires a larger shell than a twenty-gauge shotgun does.
12號獵槍發射的彈殼比20號獵槍更大。
number + -gauge + noun — combining form for bore size
The nurse used an eighteen-gauge needle to draw the patient's blood for testing.
護理師用18號針頭抽取病人的血液進行檢驗。
For the repair job, the mechanic chose a ten-gauge wire because it conducts enough current safely.
維修時，技師選擇10號電線，因為它能安全承載所需的電流。
Hunters often prefer a twelve-gauge shotgun for bird shooting because of its wide spread pattern.
獵人打鳥時常偏好12號霰彈槍，因為它的散射面很廣。
- calibre
used for gun barrels, expressed in millimetres or inches rather than a numbered scale
文法句型
number + -gauge + noun
用法筆記
This form always appears hyphenated with a number before a noun (e.g. 'twelve-gauge shotgun', 'twenty-gauge needle'). Learners should memorise that a lower number = a wider diameter, which is the opposite of what intuition suggests.