gauge-glass

The engineer checks the water level in the gauge-glass.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A "gauge-glass" is a transparent tube, typically made of glass, that indicates the level of a liquid in a container, such as a boiler or a tank. It is used to visually measure the height or volume of the liquid inside.

Usage Examples

• (The transparent tube showed the water level.)
• (A damaged visual indicator of liquid level.)

Advanced Usage

• "to read the gauge-glass": to observe and interpret the liquid level shown by the tube.
  • The technician read the gauge-glass every hour to monitor fuel consumption. (He checked the tube's markings to measure the fuel.)
• "to replace the gauge-glass": to install a new transparent tube when the old one is broken or clouded.
  • The maintenance crew replaced the gauge-glass after it became too dirty to see through. (They swapped the old tube for a new one.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gauge (n): a general device or instrument for measuring or estimating something.
  • The pressure gauge showed a dangerous reading. (A measuring device for pressure.)
• Glass (n): the material or object made from a hard, transparent substance.
  • The glass in the window was shattered. (The transparent material.)

Synonyms

• Sight glass: a transparent window or tube for observing liquid levels.
  • The sight glass on the tank was foggy. (Another term for gauge-glass.)
• Level indicator: a device that shows the height of a liquid.
  • The level indicator on the reservoir was accurate. (A general term for such a device.)

Phrasal Verbs

• "to gauge by": to estimate or judge something using a gauge-glass or similar tool.
  • The operator gauged by the gauge-glass that the tank was nearly empty. (He estimated the level using the tube.)
• "to look through": to view the contents of a container via the gauge-glass.
  • She looked through the gauge-glass to check the oil level. (She observed through the transparent tube.)

Related Idioms

• "to see through a glass darkly": an idiom meaning to perceive something unclearly or partially, which can relate to the function of a gauge-glass if it is dirty or damaged.
  • With the foggy gauge-glass, we saw through a glass darkly and misread the level. (We perceived the level unclearly.)