gas gauge
3
2.8
- noun
- /ɡæs ɡeɪdʒ/
- US
:
indicador de gasolina
- Before we set off, he checked the gas gauge to make sure we had enough fuel for the trip.
- check the gas gauge
- glanced at the gas gauge
- look at the gas gauge
Examples
-
Ten minutes later, the rain slowing even more, she glanced at the gas gauge and felt a knot in her stomach.
Fiction book (2001) -
The gas gauge is now a tick above one-half.
Fiction book (1998) -
- All right, look at the gas gauge.
-
The gas gauge was broken.
Fiction book (1992) -
The gas gauge showed a quarter tank.
Fiction book (1999) -
Of course, cars have gas gauges to let drivers know when they are running low on gas.
Blog text (2) -
He glanced at his gas gauge.
Fiction book (1994) -
Our gas gauge was getting low when we happened upon what we've always called a stop sign town, except this one was missing the stop sign.
Blog text (28) -
Summer stared down at the gas gauge in stupefaction as the Chevy's speed slowed to a crawl.
Fiction book (1995) -
Triple E pulls the car to the curb and sits awhile idling, watching the gas gauge, trying to figure out what to do.
Fiction book (1998)
Synonyms
45
3.9
A device that shows how much or how full something is, like a fuel meter
4
2.9
A device that shows how much fuel is left in a car's tank
A device in a car that shows how much gas is left
A device in a vehicle that shows how much fuel is left in the tank
A device in a car that shows how much petrol is left
A device that shows how much fuel is left in a car's tank
A device that shows how much fuel is left in a car's tank
A tool that measures things like rain or pressure
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an instrument that shows the amount of gasoline' is directly and compositionally derived from 'gas' (fuel) + 'gauge' (measuring device); this noun–noun compound follows a regular, predictable naming pattern. Such compounds are cross-linguistically and within English highly transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The name gas gauge comes from gas (short for gasoline) and gauge (a tool that measures). It is the tool in a car that measures the fuel in the tank, so the name means 'a thing that shows how much fuel is left'.