noun

square

skweh-uh

noun

A four-sided shape with equal sides and right angles.

"She drew a square on the graph paper."

An open public area in a town or city, often surrounded by buildings.

"Tourists gathered in the main square to watch the parade."

adj

Forming or having right angles.

"Make sure the shelf is square before you screw it in."

Fair, honest, and straightforward.

"He gave me a square deal on the used car."

Informal: old-fashioned or conventional in a boring way.

"His parents thought rock music was for squares."

verb

To multiply a number by itself.

"If you square four, you get sixteen."

To make something agree or match with something else.

"His story didn't square with what the witnesses said."

"I need to square my schedule with yours before we book the flights."

How to Use Square

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe four-sided shape, a public plaza, having right angles, being honest and fair, or — as a verb — to multiply a number by itself or make two things match up.

Common mistake

As slang for a boring, conventional person, "square" is dated — it reads as 1950s-60s slang today.

Common pairings

town square square deal square up square the numbers

Word Forms

squarer comparative, more square comparative, squared past tense, Squares plural, squares singular, squarest superlative, most square superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She drew a _____ on the graph paper.

Etymology

From Old French esquarre, ultimately from Latin ex- plus quadrus ("four-sided"); a doublet of "squad."

Rhymes for square

are dare care hare mare fare bare rare ware gare share snare

See all rhymes for square →