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wire gauge

wire gauge

4.3
A tool for measuring the thickness of wire
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : calibre de alambre
  • To select the appropriate wire for the project, use a wire gauge to measure its thickness.

Examples

  • Now AWG means American wire gauge and it basically means the thickness of the wires.

  • The wire gauge indicates the thickness of a wire.

    Blog text (13)
  • The wire gauge of 12V power wires and parallel run wires is also a factor in large installations.

    Blog text (13)
  • He checked the wire gauge to ensure the wire was suitable for the electrical installation.

  • Using a wire gauge makes it easy to determine the diameter of different wires before making a purchase.

Synonyms

gauge
vswire gauge
  • Specialized
63 4.4

A standard measurement of size or thickness used to compare objects

is a tool or system used to measure conductor thickness, not a numeric standard
wire gage
vswire gauge
  • Specialized
6.9

A small tool for measuring how thick a wire is

is identical in meaning but spelled differently in written form
micrometer gauge
vswire gauge
  • Specialized
7.3

A tool that measures very small distances or thicknesses using a fine screw

is for measuring conductor diameter specifically rather than any small part

Surface Forms

wire gauge singular
wire gauges plural

Morphology

wire + gauge

The meaning 'a tool or system for measuring the diameter or thickness of wire' is directly and compositionally derived from 'wire' (thin metal strand) + 'gauge' (measure or standard of size). This noun–noun compound follows a predictable English compounding pattern and has close equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The noun wire gauge comes from a simple metal tool with holes or slots used to check wire size: you push the wire into different holes in the gauge until one fits. That's why wire gauge means 'a tool or way to measure wire thickness'.