Definition

1. Noun:

   • A plane geometric figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles: A shape with four sides of equal length and four 90-degree corners.
   • An open public area in a town, often rectangular: A public space, often surrounded by buildings and streets.
   • The product of a number multiplied by itself: The result of raising a number to the second power.
   • A tool for checking or marking right angles: An L-shaped instrument used in carpentry and drafting.
   • A person considered old-fashioned or conventional: Someone with rigidly traditional views.

2. Adjective:

   • Having the shape of a square: Characterized by four equal sides and four right angles.
   • Forming a right angle: Meeting or positioned at a 90-degree angle.
   • Honest and fair: Characterized by straightforward and equitable dealing.
   • Settled, with no debt owed: Leaving no balance; even.
   • Substantial and satisfying: Providing abundant nourishment.
   • Rigidly conventional: Old-fashioned in manner or attitude.

3. Verb:

   • To make something square or rectangular: To give something a square shape or right angles.
   • To multiply a number by itself: To raise a number to the second power.
   • To settle or pay a debt: To make an account even or balanced.
   • To bring into agreement or make consistent: To cause ideas, actions, or facts to match.
   • To position something squarely: To set something at a right angle or in a straight, firm position.

4. Adverb:

   • Directly and firmly: In a straightforward manner without deviation.
   • At right angles: In a square shape or position.
   • Honestly and fairly: In a straightforward and equitable way.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The city's main square is always full of people.
  • The area of a square is calculated by multiplying the side length by itself.
  • 64 is the square of 8.
  • He used a square to ensure the corner was perfectly 90 degrees.

• Adjective:

  • The room was square, not rectangular.
  • She gave him a square look. (direct, honest)
  • After paying the bill, we are square.
  • He ate a square meal before the long journey.

• Verb:

  • He squared the piece of wood with a saw.
  • Three squared equals nine.
  • I need to square my account with the bank.
  • His story does not square with the facts.

• Adverb:

  • He hit the ball square on the bat.
  • She looked him square in the eye.

Advanced Usage

• "To be square with someone": To have settled all debts or obligations with a person, or to be honest with them.

  • After I pay you back, we'll be square.

• "A square deal": A fair and honest transaction or agreement.

  • The company promised its employees a square deal.

• "To square the circle": To attempt something that is considered impossible (originating from the geometric problem of constructing a square with the same area as a given circle using only a compass and straightedge).

  • Trying to please everyone is like trying to square the circle.

Variants and Related Words

• Squarely (adverb): Directly, firmly, or fairly.

  • The responsibility falls squarely on his shoulders.

• Squareness (noun): The quality of being square in shape or character.

  • The squareness of the building's design.

• Square root (noun): A number which produces a specified quantity when multiplied by itself.

  • The square root of 16 is 4.

Synonyms

• Noun (shape): Quadrilateral, rectangle (specifically when referring to a right-angled shape with equal sides).
• Adjective (honest): Fair, straightforward, equitable, just.
• Adjective (old-fashioned): Conventional, conservative, strait-laced.
• Verb (settle): Settle, pay off, balance, clear.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Square off: To prepare to fight, argue, or compete; to assume a defensive or aggressive posture.

  • The two boxers squared off in the center of the ring.

• Square up: To settle a bill or debt; to face a situation directly.

  • Let's square up the tab before we leave.
  • It's time to square up to our problems.

• Square away: To arrange things in good order; to complete necessary preparations.

  • We need to square away the final details before the launch.

Related Idioms

• A square peg in a round hole: A person who is unsuited to their position or situation.

  • As an artist in a corporate office, he felt like a square peg in a round hole.

• On the square: Honest, fair, and legitimate.

  • You can trust him; he's always been on the square.

• Back to square one: Forced to start over from the beginning because of a failure or lack of progress.

  • The experiment failed, so we're back to square one.

Verb

1. turn the oar, while rowing
2. turn the paddle; in canoeing
3. pay someone and settle a debt
   • I squared with him
4. be compatible with
   • one idea squares with another
5. position so as to be square
   • He squared his shoulders
6. cause to match, as of ideas or acts
7. raise to the second power
8. make square
   • Square the circle
   • square the wood with a file

Adjective

1. rigidly conventional or old-fashioned
2. without evasion or compromise
   • a square contradiction
   • he is not being as straightforward as it appears
3. leaving no balance
   • my account with you is now all square
4. providing abundant nourishment
   • a hearty meal
   • good solid food
   • ate a substantial breakfast
   • four square meals a day
5. characterized by honesty and fairness
   • straight dealing
   • a square deal
6. having four equal sides and four right angles or forming a right angle
   • a square peg in a round hole
   • a square corner

Noun

1. a hand tool consisting of two straight arms at right angles; used to construct or test right angles
   • the carpenter who built this room must have lost his square
2. any artifact having a shape similar to a plane geometric figure with four equal sides and four right angles
   • a checkerboard has 64 squares
3. a formal and conservative person with old-fashioned views
4. someone who doesn't understand what is going on
5. something approximating the shape of a square
6. an open area at the meeting of two or more streets
7. the product of two equal terms
   • nine is the second power of three
   • gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance
8. (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
   • you can compute the area of a square if you know the length of its sides

Adverb

1. firmly and solidly
   • hit the ball squarely
   • the bat met the ball squarely
   • planted his great bulk square before his enemy
2. in a square shape
   • a squarely cut piece of paper
   • folded the sheet of paper square
3. in a straight direct way
   • looked him squarely in the eye
   • ran square into me