<B>measles, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a contagious disease caused by a virus, characterized by the symptoms of a bad cold, fever, and a breaking out of small, red spots on the skin; rubeola. Measles is a disease that is much more common in children than in grown-ups. <BR> <I>Ex. What seems to be a cold ... often turns out to be the beginning of measles (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a less severe disease with a similar breaking out; German measles. <DD><B> 3a. </B>a disease of hogs and cattle caused by the larvae of tapeworms. <DD><B> b. </B>the larvae that cause this disease. </DL>
<A NAME="measly">
<B>measly, </B>adjective, <B>-slier,</B> <B>-sliest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or like measles. <DD><B> 2. </B>having measles. <BR> <I>Ex. measly pork.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Informal.) scanty; meager. <BR> <I>Ex. a measly portion, a measly bit of work.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="measurability">
<B>measurability, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality or condition of being measurable. </DL>
<A NAME="measurable">
<B>measurable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be measured. noun <B>measurableness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="measurably">
<B>measurably, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to an amount or degree that can be measured; perceptibly. <BR> <I>Ex. The sick man has improved measurably since yesterday.</I> (SYN) appreciably, discernibly. </DL>
<A NAME="measure">
<B>measure, </B>verb, <B>-ured,</B> <B>-uring,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1a. </B>to find the size or amount of (anything); find how long, wide, deep, large, or much (a thing) is. <BR> <I>Ex. We measured the room and found it was 20 feet long and 15 feet wide. We measured the pail by finding out how many quarts of water it would hold.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to estimate by some standard. <BR> <I>Ex. I would measure this room at about 12 by 16 feet.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to mark off or out (in inches, feet, quarts, or some other unit); get, take, or set apart by measuring. <BR> <I>Ex. Measure out a bushel of potatoes. Measure off 2 yards of this cloth.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to compare with a standard or with some other person or thing by estimating, judging, or acting. <BR> <I>Ex. I measured my swimming ability with his by racing him across the pool. The soldier measured his strength with that of his enemy in a hand-to-hand fight.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to have a measurement of. <BR> <I>Ex. The tree measures 40 feet in height.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>to serve as a measure of. <BR> <I>Ex. A clock measures time.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>to adjust; suit. <BR> <I>Ex. to measure one's behavior by the company one is in. Measure your needs to your income.</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>(Archaic.) to travel over; traverse. <BR> <I>Ex. She turned back into the room and measured its length with a restless step (Henry James).</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>(Poetic.) to delimit. <BR> <I>Ex. A cloud to measure out their march by day (William Cowper).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to be of a certain size or amount. <BR> <I>Ex. Buy some paper that measures 8 by 10 inches.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to take measurements; find out size or amount. <BR> <I>Ex. Can he measure accurately?</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to admit of measurement. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the size, dimensions, quantity, or amount obtained by measuring. <BR> <I>Ex. His waist measure is 32 inches.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the act or process of finding the extent, size, quantity, capacity, or other amount, of something, especially by comparison with a standard. <DD><B> 3. </B>something with which to measure. A foot rule, a yardstick, a pint measure, a quart dipper, and a bushel basket are common measures. <DD><B> 4. </B>a unit or standard of measure, such as an inch, a foot, or a meter, a mile or a kilometer, a quart or a liter. Some other common measures are a pound, a gallon, an acre, a peck, and an hour. <DD><B> 5. </B>a system of measurement. <BR> <I>Ex. liquid measure, dry measure, square measure.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>any standard of comparison, estimation, or judgment; criterion. <BR> <I>Ex. Man is the measure of all things. Some ... make themselves the measure of mankind (Alexander Pope).</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>a quantity or degree that should not be exceeded; limit; bound. <BR> <I>Ex. Her joy knew no measure. The bad news distressed him beyond measure.</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>quantity, degree, or proportion. <BR> <I>Ex. a measure of relief. Sickness is in great measure preventable. Carelessness is in large measure responsible for many accidents.</I> <DD><B> 9. </B>a particular movement or arrangement in poetry or music; time. <BR> <I>Ex. the measure in which a poem or song is written.</I> <DD><B> 10. </B>a metrical unit; foot of verse. <BR> <I>Ex. the stately measures of blank verse.</I> <DD><B> 11. </B>a bar of music. <DD><B> 12. </B>a dance or dance movement, especially when slow and stately. <BR> <I>Ex. the measures of a minuet.</I> <DD><B> 13. </B>an action meant as a means to an end; procedure. <BR> <I>Ex. To adopt measures to relieve suffering. What measures shall we take to solve this very puzzling mystery?</I> <DD><B> 14. </B>a law or proposed law. <BR> <I>Ex. This measure has passed the Senate.</I> <DD><B> 15. </B>(Mathematics.) a number or quantity contained in another some number of times without remainder; factor. <DD><B> 16. </B>a definite quantity measured out. <BR> <I>Ex. to drink a measure.</I> <DD><B> 17. </B>(Poetic.) an air; tune; melody. <BR><I>expr. <B>for good measure,</B> </I>as something extra; as something not necessarily expected. <BR> <I>Ex. ... while for good measure there are five plays instead of the usual three (London Times).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>in a measure,</B> </I>to some degree; partly. <BR> <I>Ex. The story was funny in a measure, but it had its serious side, too.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>measure out,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>to divide; apportion; distribute. </I> <I>Ex. I ... Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons (T. S. Eliot).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to mete or deal out. <BR> <I>Ex. Sermons were measured out with no grudging hand (Leslie Stephen).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>measures,</B> </I>strata or beds of a mineral. <BR> <I>Ex. The coal measures were found deep in the mine.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>measure up,</B> </I>to have the necessary qualifications. <BR> <I>Ex. He did not get the job because he just did not measure up.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>measure up to,</B> </I>to match. <BR> <I>Ex. The party did not measure up to her expectations.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>take measures,</B> </I>to do something; act. <BR> <I>Ex. The Security Council has taken measures to avert a major crisis.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>take one's measure,</B> </I>to judge one's character. <BR> <I>Ex. I have encountered a good many of these gentlemen in actual service, and have taken their measure (Benjamin Jowett).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>tread a measure,</B> </I>to dance. <BR> <I>Ex. Let us gaily tread a measure (Sir William S. Gilbert).</I> noun <B>measurer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="measured">
<B>measured, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>regular; uniform. <BR> <I>Ex. the measured march of soldiers, measured portions of food. She hears the measured beating of our horses' hoofs (Thomas De Quincey).</I> (SYN) regulated. <DD><B> 2. </B>rhythmical. <BR> <I>Ex. measured beats.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>written in poetry, not in prose; metrical. <BR> <I>Ex. measured lines of poetry. For the unquiet heart and brain, A use in measured language lies (Tennyson).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>deliberate and restrained; not hasty or careless. <BR> <I>Ex. The angry old man spoke to the boys with measured speech.</I> (SYN) moderate, temperate. adv. <B>measuredly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="measuredmile">
<B>measured mile,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a course exactly a mile long, either on land or water, used to check the calibration of an automobile speedometer and mileage indicator, a ship's log, or other device. </DL>
<A NAME="measureless">
<B>measureless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> too great to be measured; unlimited; vast. <BR> <I>Ex. the measureless ocean, the measureless prairie.</I> (SYN) infinite, immeasurable. adv. <B>measurelessly.</B> noun <B>measurelessness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="measurement">
<B>measurement, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a way of measuring; way of finding the size, quantity, or amount. <BR> <I>Ex. Clocks give us a measurement of time.</I> (SYN) gauge. <DD><B> 2. </B>the act or fact of measuring; finding the size, quantity, or amount. <BR> <I>Ex. The measurement of length by a yardstick is easy.</I> (SYN) computation, reckoning. <DD><B> 3. </B>size, quantity, or amount found by measuring; dimension. <BR> <I>Ex. The measurements of this room are 10 by 15 feet.</I> (SYN) extent, capacity. <DD><B> 4. </B>a system of measuring or of measures. <BR> <I>Ex. Metric measurement is used in most countries of the world.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="measurementton">
measurement ton =freight ton.</DL>
<A NAME="measuringrod">
<B>measuring rod,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> yardstick. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) By this measuring rod the United States has been moving steadily backward (Harper's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="measuringworm">
<B>measuring worm,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the larva of certain moths; inchworm. It moves by bringing the rear end of its body forward, forming a loop, and then advancing the front end. </DL>
<A NAME="meat">
<B>meat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>animal flesh used for food. Fish and poultry are not usually called meat. <DD><B> 2. </B>food of any kind, especially solid food. <BR> <I>Ex. meat and drink.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the part of anything that can be eaten. <BR> <I>Ex. The meat of the walnut is tasty. Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) the essential part or parts; food for thought; substance. <BR> <I>Ex. the meat of an argument. But the real meat of the book is in the depiction of the moral conflicts keenly felt by these men (Bulletin of Atomic Scientists).</I> (SYN) gist. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Slang, Figurative.) something a person finds easy and pleasant to do. <BR> <I>Ex. ... peninsular warfare is traditionally the Navy's meat (Time).</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Archaic.) a meal, especially the principal meal. <BR> <I>Ex. Say grace before meat.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="meatandpotatoes">
<B>meat and potatoes,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) the principal part; foundation; basis. <BR> <I>Ex. Textbooks remain the meat and potatoes of publishing in Canada (Maclean's).</I> </DL>