8. (Mil.) A body of troops formed in a square, esp. one formed to resist a charge of cavalry; a squadron. "The brave squares of war." Shak.
9. Fig.: The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
We live not on the square with such as these.
Dryden.
10. (Astrol.) The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate. [Obs.]
11. The act of squaring, or quarreling; a quarrel. [R.]
12. The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered. [Obs.] Shak.
Geometrical square. See Quadrat, n., 2. -- Hollow square (Mil.), a formation of troops in the shape of a square, each side consisting of four or five ranks, and the colors, officers, horses, etc., occupying the middle. -- Least square, Magic square, etc. See under Least, Magic, etc. -- On the square, or Upon the square, in an open, fair manner; honestly, or upon honor. [Obs. or Colloq.] -- On, or Upon, the square with, upon equality with; even with. Nares. -- To be all squares, to be all settled. [Colloq.] Dickens. -- To be at square, to be in a state of quarreling. [Obs.] Nares. -- To break no square, to give no offense; to make no difference. [Obs.] -- To break squares, to depart from an accustomed order. -- To see how the squares go, to see how the game proceeds; -- a phrase taken from the game of chess, the chessboard being formed with squares. [Obs.] L'Estrange.
Square (?), a. 1. (Geom.) Having four equal sides and four right angles; as, a square figure.
2. Forming a right angle; as, a square corner.
3. Having a shape broad for the height, with rectilineal and angular rather than curving outlines; as, a man of a square frame.
4. Exactly suitable or correspondent; true; just.
She's a most truimphant lady, if report be square to her.
Shak.
5. Rendering equal justice; exact; fair; honest, as square dealing.
6. Even; leaving no balance; as, to make or leave the accounts square.
7. Leaving nothing; hearty; vigorous.
By Heaven, square eaters. More meat, I say.
Beau. & Fl.
8. (Naut.) At right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; -- said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.
Square is often used in self-explaining compounds or combination, as in square-built, square-cornered, square-cut, square-nosed, etc.
Square foot, an area equal to that of a square the sides of which are twelwe inches; 144 square inches. - - Square knot, a knot in which the terminal and standing parts are parallel to each other; a reef knot. See Illust. under Knot. -- Square measure, the measure of a superficies or surface which depends on the length and breadth taken conjointly. The units of square measure are squares whose sides are the linear measures; as, square inches, square feet, square meters, etc. -- Square number. See square, n., 6. -- Square root of a number or quantity (Math.), that number or quantity which, multiplied by itself produces the given number or quantity. -- Square sail (Naut.), a four-sided sail extended upon a yard suspended by the middle; sometimes, the foresail of a schooner set upon a yard; also, a cutter's or sloop's sail boomed out. See Illust. of Sail. -- Square stern (Naut.), a stern having a transom and joining the counter timbers at an angle, as distinguished from a round stern, which has no transom. -- Three-square, Five- square, etc., having three, five, etc., equal sides; as, a three-square file. -- To get square with, to get even with; to pay off. [Colloq.]
Square, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Squared (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Squaring.] [Cf. OF. escarrer, esquarrer. See Square, n.] 1. To form with four sides and four right angles. Spenser.
2. To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces; as, to square mason's work.
3. To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard. Shak.
4. To adjust; to regulate; to mold; to shape; to fit; as, to square our actions by the opinions of others.
Square my trial To my proportioned strength.
Milton.
The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section S · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.