square

1 adjective

1 SHAPE having four straight equal sides and 90º angles at the corners: a square flower bed

2 ANGLE forming a 90º angle: a square corner | a square jaw | square shoulders

3 square metre/mile etc an area of measurement equal to a square with sides a metre long, a mile long etc: about four square meters of ground | There isn't a café within a square mile of here.

4 5 feet/2 metres etc square having the shape of a square with sides that are 5 feet, 2 metres etc long: The room is six metres square.

5 LEVEL parallel with a straight line

(+ with): I don't think the shelf is square with the floor.

6 a square deal honest and fair treatment from someone, especially in business: I try to give my workers a square deal, decent wages, and a clean room.

—see also: hit sth fair and square fair 2 (2), tell sb fair and square fair 2 (3)

7 a square meal a good satisfying meal

8 be all square to have the same number of points as your opponent in a competition: The teams were all square at the end of the first half.

9 (all) square informal if two people are square they do not owe each other any money: Here's your -10 back, that makes us square.

10 UNFASHIONABLE old-fashioned boring and unfashionable

11 a square peg in a round hole informal someone who is in a job or situation that is not suitable for them

— squareness noun (U) 2 noun (C)

1 SHAPE

a) a shape with four straight equal sides with 90º angles at the corners: First of all, draw a square.

b) a piece of something in this shape

(+ of): a square of cloth

2 IN A TOWN

a) a broad open area in the middle of a town usually in the shape of a square, or the buildings surrounding it: There's a market in the square every Tuesday.

b) Square used in addresses: She lives in Hanover Square.

3 be back to square one to be back in exactly the same situation that you started from, so that you have made no progress: Police have released the suspect and are now back to square one.

4 NUMBER the result of multiplying a number by itself: The square of 4 is 16.

—see also: square root

5 IN A GAME a space on a board used for playing a game such as chess

6 PERSON old-fashioned someone who is boring because they are not interested in the newest styles of music, clothes etc

7 TOOL a flat tool with a straight edge, often shaped like an L, used for drawing or measuring 90° angles

—see also: setsquare

8 be on the square old-fashioned to behave or speak honestly: Are you really on the square?

3 verb (T)

1 MULTIPLY to multiply a number by itself

2 IN A COMPETITION to win the same number of points or games as your opponent: India won the second match to square the series at one each.

3 PAY SB MONEY to pay money to someone in an official position, so that they do what you want: We'll have to square a few government officials, if we're going to get this scheme approved.

4 square your shoulders to push back your shoulders with your back straight, usually to show your determination

5 MAKE STH STRAIGHT to make something straight or parallel

6 square the circle to attempt something impossible

square sth away phrasal verb (transitive usually passive) AmE to finish something, especially by putting the last details in order: Get your work squared away before you leave. square off phrasal verb (T)

1 (transitive square something off) to make something square with straight edges

2 (I) AmE to get ready to fight someone

square up phrasal verb

1 (I) to pay money that you owe: I'll pay for the drinks and you can square up later.

2 (I) BrE to get ready to fight someone

3 (transitive square up to someone/something) to deal with a difficult situation or person in a determined way: I admire the way she squared up to the problem.

square with phrasal verb

1 (intransitive, transitive not in progressive) if you square two ideas, statements etc with each other or if they square with each other they can be accepted together even though they seem different: Ben's story doesn't square with Jane's version. | square sth with sth: How do you square fighting in a war, with being a Christian? | square sth with your conscience (=make yourself believe that what you are doing is morally right)

2 (transitive square something with someone) to arrange something with someone by persuading them to agree to it or allow it: I'll take the day off if I can square it with my boss.

4 adverb (only after verb)

1 directly and firmly; squarely: square in the eye: Look him square in the eye and say no.

2 (+ to) at 90º to a line; squarely (2)