water gauge
- noun
- /ˈwɔːtər ɡeɪdʒ/
- Specialized
- She checked the water gauge to ensure there was enough water in the boiler.
Examples
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The engineer installed a water gauge to monitor the tank's water level.
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The water gauge indicated that the reservoir was nearly full.
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He'll have his custom carbon fiber, RPM gauge, water gauge, and then our jet fighter push start button.
Synonyms
A device that shows the level of water in a tank, boiler, or reservoir
A clear tube that shows how much water is in a tank
How Complex
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'gauge' is a measuring device and 'water' specifies what is being measured, so a learner who knows both words can infer an instrument for indicating water level. This noun–noun compounding pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, making the phrase immediately understandable to B1 learners.
Etymology
Water gauge is a simple name: a gauge is a tool that 'measures', and here it measures how much water is in a tank or boiler, so it shows the water level. That's why water gauge means a tool that tells you how much water is in a container.