size

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /saɪz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪz
• Homophones: psis, scise, sighs

Etymology 1

Attested since the 14th century, originally meant a “law or regulation that determines the amount to be paid”, from Middle English syse, sise (“regulation, control, limit”), from Old French cise, sise, aphetism of assise (“assize”), from the verb asseoir (“to sit down”), from Latin assidēre, composed of ad- (“to, towards, at”) +‎ sedeō (“sit; settle down”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed-. Displaced native Old English miċelnes (literally “bigness”).

Noun

size (countable and uncountable, plural sizes)

1. The dimensions or magnitude of a thing; how big something is.

   The size of the building seemed to have increased since I was last there.

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-1:

     Ashley: Look at the size of that ship!
     Kaidan: The Ascension. Flagship of the Citadel fleet.
     Joker: Well, size isn't everything.
     Ashley: Why so touchy, Joker?
     Joker: I'm just saying you need firepower, too.

   • 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:

     [The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across. Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, […].

2. A specific set of dimensions for a manufactured article, especially clothing.

   I don't think we have the red one in your size.

3. (graph theory) A number of edges in a graph.
4. (figurative, dated) Degree of rank, ability, character, etc.
   • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: , London: R Sare, , →OCLC:

     men of a less size and quality**

   • 1720, Jonathan Swift, A Letter to a Young Clergyman:

     the middle or lower size of people

5. An instrument consisting of a number of perforated gauges fastened together at one end by a rivet, used for measuring the size of pearls
   • Edward H[enry] Knight (1877) “Size”, in Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary. , volumes III (REA–ZYM), New York, N.Y.: Hurd and Houghton , →OCLC..
6. (US) Short for chili size (“hamburger served with chili con carne”).
7. (obsolete outside dialects) An assize.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1973, page 560:

     I know you would have women above the law, but it is all a lye; I heard his lordship say at size, that no one is above the law.

8. (obsolete) A regulation, piece of ordinance.
9. (obsolete) A regulation determining the amount of money paid in fees, taxes etc.
10. (obsolete) A fixed standard for the magnitude, quality, quantity etc. of goods, especially food and drink.
    • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

      to scant my sizes

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:size

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• → Cantonese: size (saai1 si2)
• → Irish: saghas
• → Japanese: サイズ (saizu)
• → Korean: 사이즈 (saijeu)
• → Malay: saiz
• → Persian: سایز (sâyz)
• → Urdu: سائز (sāiz)

Translations

Verb

size (third-person singular simple present sizes, present participle sizing, simple past and past participle sized)

1. (transitive) To adjust the size of; to make a certain size.
   • 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, , London: W Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC:

     a statute […] to size weights, and measures

2. (transitive) To classify or arrange by size.
   1. (military) To take the height of men, in order to place them in the ranks according to their stature.
   2. (mining) To sift (pieces of ore or metal) in order to separate the finer from the coarser parts.
3. (transitive, colloquial) To approximate the dimensions, estimate the size of.
4. (intransitive) To take a greater size; to increase in size.
   • after 1633 (first published), John Donne, Farewell to Love

     Our desires give them fashion, and so, / As they wax lesser, fall, as they size, grow.

5. (UK, Cambridge University, obsolete) To order food or drink from the buttery; hence, to enter a score, as upon the buttery book.
6. (transitive, obsolete) To swell; to increase the bulk of.
   • 1613–1614 (date written), John Fletcher, William Shak[e]speare, The Two Noble Kinsmen: , London: Tho Cotes, for Iohn Waterson;  , published 1634, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 1:

     2. Queen. […] lend us a knee;
     But touch the ground for us no longer time
     Then a Doves motion, when the head's pluckt off:
     ell him if he i'th blood cizd field, lay swolne
     Showing the Sun his Teeth; grinning at the Moone
     What you would doe.

Hyponyms

• (to adjust size): resize

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English syse, of unclear origin; related to Old Italian sisa (“a glue used by painters”), perhaps ultimately related to size / syse (“amount”), or perhaps shortened from assisa, from assiso (“to make to sit, to seat, to place”)

Noun

size (countable and uncountable, plural sizes)

2. A thin, weak glue used as primer for paper or canvas intended to be painted upon.
   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 40:

     The beginning of a new episode of work for Bradly was an agitated niggling over six-by-four squares of cardboard coated with size and white lead, prepared by himself to save an experimental waste of canvas.

3. Wallpaper paste.
4. The thickened crust on coagulated blood.
5. Any viscous substance, such as gilder's varnish.

Derived terms

• sizing

Translations

Verb

size (third-person singular simple present sizes, present participle sizing, simple past and past participle sized)

1. (transitive) To apply glue or other primer to a surface which is to be painted.

Translations

References

Etymology 3

Noun

size (plural sizes)

1. Alternative form of sice (“number six in dice games”)

See also

• Size in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Chinese

Alternative forms

• 晒士, 嘥士

Etymology

Borrowed from English size.

Pronunciation

Noun

size

1. (Cantonese) size

   • 有一個傻仔鄭人先用繩度自己腳的size，有一日想買鞋，不過去到市集先發現自己無帶條繩，所以唔知買鞋買咩size。 [Cantonese, trad.]
     有一个傻仔郑人先用绳度自己脚的size，有一日想买鞋，不过去到市集先发现自己无带条绳，所以唔知买鞋买咩size。 [Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2015, 史丹利, 睇淫故 學中文, 港股策略王, issue 40, page 79

     jau⁵ jat¹ go³ so⁴ zai² zeng⁶ jan⁴ sin¹ jung⁶ sing^4-2 dok⁶ zi⁶ gei² goek³ dik¹ saai¹ si², jau⁵ jat¹ jat⁶ soeng² maai⁵ haai⁴, bat¹ gwo³ heoi³ dou³ si⁵ zaap⁶ sin¹ faat³ jin⁶ zi⁶ gei² mou⁵ daai³ tiu⁴ sing^4-2, so² ji⁵ m⁴ zi¹ maai⁵ haai⁴ maai⁵ me¹ saai¹ si².

     There was a stupid guy from Zheng who used only a string to measure the size of his feet; one day, he wanted to buy shoes, but only when he got to the market did he realize that he didn't bring his string, so he didn't know what shoe size to buy.

   • 經常在網上見到有人問甚麼波鞋應「買咩size好？」 [Cantonese, trad.]
     经常在网上见到有人问什么波鞋应「买咩size好？」 [Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2016, Jerald Li, 還要問買甚麼size嗎？15款大熱波鞋size攻略

     ging¹ soeng⁴ zoi⁶ mong⁵ soeng⁶ gin³ dou^3-2 jau⁵ jan⁴ man⁶ sam⁶ mo¹ bo¹ haai⁴ jing¹ “maai⁵ me¹ saai¹ si² hou²?”

     I always see people online asking something like "What size should I buy?" for sneakers

   • 戴住對唔啱size嘅白色勞工手套仔 [Cantonese, trad.]
     戴住对唔啱size嘅白色劳工手套仔 [Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2016, 莊偉忠 (Daniel Chong), 不離地的CEO, page 104

     daai³ zyu⁶ deoi³ m⁴ ngaam¹ saai¹ si² ge³ baak⁶ sik¹ lou⁴ gung¹ sau² tou³ zai²

     wearing white workers' gloves of the wrong size

Synonyms

• 尺寸 (chǐcùn)

Turkish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /siˈzɛ/
  • (colloquial, quick speech) IPA^(key): /sːɛ/

Pronoun

size

1. dative of siz (you – plural or polite)

Turkmen

Noun

size

1. dative plural of siz