Gauge \Gauge\, n. [Written also gage.]
   1. A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to
      determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard.
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            This plate must be a gauge to file your worm and
            groove to equal breadth by.           --Moxon.
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            There is not in our hands any fixed gauge of minds.
                                                  --I. Taylor.
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   2. Measure; dimensions; estimate.
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            The gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and
            contempt.                             --Burke.
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   3. (Mach. & Manuf.) Any instrument for ascertaining or
      regulating the dimensions or forms of things; a templet or
      template; as, a button maker's gauge.
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   4. (Physics) Any instrument or apparatus for measuring the
      state of a phenomenon, or for ascertaining its numerical
      elements at any moment; -- usually applied to some
      particular instrument; as, a rain gauge; a steam gauge.
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   5. (Naut.)
      (a) Relative positions of two or more vessels with
          reference to the wind; as, a vessel has the weather
          gauge of another when on the windward side of it, and
          the lee gauge when on the lee side of it.
      (b) The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
          --Totten.
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   6. The distance between the rails of a railway.
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   Note: The standard gauge of railroads in most countries is
         four feet, eight and one half inches. Wide, or broad,
         gauge, in the United States, is six feet; in England,
         seven feet, and generally any gauge exceeding standard
         gauge. Any gauge less than standard gauge is now called
         narrow gauge. It varies from two feet to three feet six
         inches.
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   7. (Plastering) The quantity of plaster of Paris used with
      common plaster to accelerate its setting.
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   8. (Building) That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which
      is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of
      such shingles, slates, or tiles.
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   Gauge of a carriage, car, etc., the distance between the
      wheels; -- ordinarily called the track.

   Gauge cock, a stop cock used as a try cock for ascertaining
      the height of the water level in a steam boiler.

   Gauge concussion (Railroads), the jar caused by a car-wheel
      flange striking the edge of the rail.

   Gauge glass, a glass tube for a water gauge.

   Gauge lathe, an automatic lathe for turning a round object
      having an irregular profile, as a baluster or chair round,
      to a templet or gauge.

   Gauge point, the diameter of a cylinder whose altitude is
      one inch, and contents equal to that of a unit of a given
      measure; -- a term used in gauging casks, etc.

   Gauge rod, a graduated rod, for measuring the capacity of
      barrels, casks, etc.

   Gauge saw, a handsaw, with a gauge to regulate the depth of
      cut. --Knight.

   Gauge stuff, a stiff and compact plaster, used in making
      cornices, moldings, etc., by means of a templet.

   Gauge wheel, a wheel at the forward end of a plow beam, to
      determine the depth of the furrow.

   Joiner's gauge, an instrument used to strike a line
      parallel to the straight side of a board, etc.

   Printer's gauge, an instrument to regulate the length of
      the page.

   Rain gauge, an instrument for measuring the quantity of
      rain at any given place.

   Salt gauge, or Brine gauge, an instrument or contrivance
      for indicating the degree of saltness of water from its
      specific gravity, as in the boilers of ocean steamers.

   Sea gauge, an instrument for finding the depth of the sea.
      

   Siphon gauge, a glass siphon tube, partly filled with
      mercury, -- used to indicate pressure, as of steam, or the
      degree of rarefaction produced in the receiver of an air
      pump or other vacuum; a manometer.

   Sliding gauge. (Mach.)
      (a) A templet or pattern for gauging the commonly accepted
          dimensions or shape of certain parts in general use,
          as screws, railway-car axles, etc.
      (b) A gauge used only for testing other similar gauges,
          and preserved as a reference, to detect wear of the
          working gauges.
      (c) (Railroads) See Note under Gauge, n., 5.

   Star gauge (Ordnance), an instrument for measuring the
      diameter of the bore of a cannon at any point of its
      length.

   Steam gauge, an instrument for measuring the pressure of
      steam, as in a boiler.

   Tide gauge, an instrument for determining the height of the
      tides.

   Vacuum gauge, a species of barometer for determining the
      relative elasticities of the vapor in the condenser of a
      steam engine and the air.

   Water gauge.
      (a) A contrivance for indicating the height of a water
          surface, as in a steam boiler; as by a gauge cock or
          glass.
      (b) The height of the water in the boiler.

   Wind gauge, an instrument for measuring the force of the
      wind on any given surface; an anemometer.

   Wire gauge, a gauge for determining the diameter of wire or
      the thickness of sheet metal; also, a standard of size.
      See under Wire.
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Tide \Tide\, n. [AS. t[imac]d time; akin to OS. & OFries.
   t[imac]d, D. tijd, G. zeit, OHG. z[imac]t, Icel. t[imac]?,
   Sw. & Dan. tid, and probably to Skr. aditi unlimited,
   endless, where a- is a negative prefix. [root]58. Cf.
   Tidings, Tidy, Till, prep., Time.]
   1. Time; period; season. [Obsoles.] "This lusty summer's
      tide." --Chaucer.
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            And rest their weary limbs a tide.    --Spenser.
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            Which, at the appointed tide,
            Each one did make his bride.          --Spenser.
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            At the tide of Christ his birth.      --Fuller.
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   2. The alternate rising and falling of the waters of the
      ocean, and of bays, rivers, etc., connected therewith. The
      tide ebbs and flows twice in each lunar day, or the space
      of a little more than twenty-four hours. It is occasioned
      by the attraction of the sun and moon (the influence of
      the latter being three times that of the former), acting
      unequally on the waters in different parts of the earth,
      thus disturbing their equilibrium. A high tide upon one
      side of the earth is accompanied by a high tide upon the
      opposite side. Hence, when the sun and moon are in
      conjunction or opposition, as at new moon and full moon,
      their action is such as to produce a greater than the
      usual tide, called the spring tide, as represented in
      the cut. When the moon is in the first or third quarter,
      the sun's attraction in part counteracts the effect of the
      moon's attraction, thus producing under the moon a smaller
      tide than usual, called the neap tide.
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   Note: The flow or rising of the water is called flood tide,
         and the reflux, ebb tide.
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   3. A stream; current; flood; as, a tide of blood. "Let in the
      tide of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide."
      --Shak.
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   4. Tendency or direction of causes, influences, or events;
      course; current.
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            There is a tide in the affairs of men,
            Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
                                                  --Shak.
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   5. Violent confluence. [Obs.] --Bacon.
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   6. (Mining) The period of twelve hours.
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   Atmospheric tides, tidal movements of the atmosphere
      similar to those of the ocean, and produced in the same
      manner by the attractive forces of the sun and moon.

   Inferior tide. See under Inferior, a.

   To work double tides. See under Work, v. t.

   Tide day, the interval between the occurrences of two
      consecutive maxima of the resultant wave at the same
      place. Its length varies as the components of sun and moon
      waves approach to, or recede from, one another. A
      retardation from this cause is called the lagging of the
      tide, while the acceleration of the recurrence of high
      water is termed the priming of the tide. See Lag of the
      tide, under 2d Lag.

   Tide dial, a dial to exhibit the state of the tides at any
      time.

   Tide gate.
      (a) An opening through which water may flow freely when
          the tide sets in one direction, but which closes
          automatically and prevents the water from flowing in
          the other direction.
      (b) (Naut.) A place where the tide runs with great
          velocity, as through a gate.

   Tide gauge, a gauge for showing the height of the tide;
      especially, a contrivance for registering the state of the
      tide continuously at every instant of time. --Brande & C.

   Tide lock, a lock situated between an inclosed basin, or a
      canal, and the tide water of a harbor or river, when they
      are on different levels, so that craft can pass either way
      at all times of the tide; -- called also guard lock.

   Tide mill. (a) A mill operated by the tidal currents.
      (b) A mill for clearing lands from tide water.

   Tide rip, a body of water made rough by the conflict of
      opposing tides or currents.

   Tide table, a table giving the time of the rise and fall of
      the tide at any place.

   Tide water, water affected by the flow of the tide; hence,
      broadly, the seaboard.

   Tide wave, or Tidal wave, the swell of water as the tide
      moves. That of the ocean is called primitive; that of bays
      or channels derivative. See also tidal wave in the
      vocabulary. --Whewell.

   Tide wheel, a water wheel so constructed as to be moved by
      the ebb or flow of the tide.
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