gauge (mainly US also gage)
noun 1 she checked the temperature gauge: measuring instrument, measuring device, meter, measure;
indicator, dial, scale, index, display.
2 exports are an important gauge of economic activity: measure, indicator, barometer, basis, standard, point of reference, guide, guideline, touchstone, yardstick, benchmark, criterion, example, model, pattern, formula, exemplar, sample, test, litmus test.
3 the railroad has a track gauge of two feet: size, measure, extent, degree, scope, capacity, magnitude;
width, breadth, area, thickness, span, depth, height;
bore, caliber, diameter.
verb 1 astronomers can gauge the star's intrinsic brightness: measure, calculate, compute, work out, determine, ascertain;
count, weigh, quantify, put a figure on.
2 it is difficult to gauge how effective the ban was: assess, evaluate, appraise, analyze, weigh up, get the measure of, judge, adjudge, rate, reckon, determine, estimate, guess;
form an opinion of, form an impression of, make up one's mind about;
informal guesstimate, size up.
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