square

A flat shape with four equal straight sides and four corners of 90 degrees.

• Draw a square on the paper.
• The pattern contains circles and squares.
• Are all four sides of this square equal?

Common phrases: draw a square, small square, perfect square

One small space in a board or chart divided by crossing lines.

• Move your piece to the next square.
• Two squares on the board are empty.
• Write one letter in each square.

Similar words: cell

Common phrases: empty square, chess square, black square

The # sign on a telephone keypad.

• Press square after entering your number.
• The square key is below the nine.
• Did you press square at the end?

Similar words: hash, pound sign

Common phrases: press square, square key

Having four equal straight sides and four corners of 90 degrees.

• We bought a square table.
• The bathroom has small square tiles.
• Is the box round or square?

Opposites: round

Common phrases: square table, square box, square window

Having or forming an angle of 90 degrees.

• Make sure the corner is square.
• The carpenter checked both square edges.
• This cut must be square to the surface.

Similar words: right-angled

Common phrases: square corner, square cut, square edge

Having all parts straight and at the correct angles, without leaning or twisting.

• The door frame must be square.
• We checked that the wooden box was square.
• These walls are no longer square.

Similar words: aligned

Common phrases: square frame, perfectly square, keep something square

To multiply a number by itself.

• Square five to get twenty-five.
• We squared each number in the list.
• Do you need to square the result?

Common phrases: square a number, square the value

To make things agree, or to fit with something else.

• These figures do not square with our records.
• She squared her decision with her personal values.
• Can you square the two accounts?

How to use it: square with something (His story does not square with the evidence.); square something with something (How do you square those actions with your beliefs?)

Similar words: reconcile, agree, fit

Common phrases: square with something, square the accounts, square something up