measure out
Definition
- Verb:
- To determine the dimensions, quantity, or capacity of something by using a standard unit or instrument.
- To apportion or distribute a specific, often precise, amount of something.
Usage
- The verb "measure out" is transitive and requires a direct object (the thing being measured). It is commonly used in contexts involving cooking, science, construction, and any activity requiring precise quantities.
- It often implies a deliberate action of taking a specific measured amount from a larger supply.
Examples
- Verb:
- Please measure out 250 grams of flour for the recipe.
- The pharmacist carefully measured out the correct dosage of medicine.
- We need to measure out the fabric before cutting it.
Advanced Usage
- "to measure out one's life": A literary or figurative use meaning to live life in a careful, deliberate, or limited way.
- He felt he was just measuring out his days in the tedious office job.
Variants and Related Words
- Measure (verb): To ascertain the size, amount, or degree of something. (A more general term than "measure out").
- Measurement (noun): The action of measuring or the result obtained from it.
- Measured (adjective): Done with careful consideration; deliberate.
Synonyms
- Allot: To assign as a share or portion.
- Portion out: To divide and distribute in portions.
- Meter out: To distribute or dispense, often in regulated amounts.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Measure off: To mark or cut a specific length from a larger piece.
- The carpenter measured off two meters of wood.
- Measure up: To reach a required standard.
- The new employee needs to measure up to our expectations.
Related Idioms
- Measure for measure: Dealing with someone in the same way they have dealt with you; retaliation in kind. (This idiom uses "measure" but not the phrasal verb "measure out").
- The policy was a case of measure for measure, responding to the other country's tariffs.
Verb
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determine the measurements of something or somebody, take measurements of
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Measure the length of the wall
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