What is "wire gauge"

Wire \Wire\ (w[imac]r), n. [OE. wir, AS. wir; akin to Icel. v[=i]rr, Dan. vire, LG. wir, wire; cf. OHG. wiara fine gold; perhaps akin to E. withy. [root]14

1. ] 1. A thread or slender rod of metal; a metallic substance formed to an even thread by being passed between grooved rollers, or drawn through holes in a plate of steel.

   Note: Wire is made of any desired form, as round, square, triangular, etc., by giving this shape to the hole in the drawplate, or between the rollers.

2. A telegraph wire or cable; hence, an electric telegraph; as, to send a message by wire. [Colloq.]

3. Chiefly in pl. The system of wires used to operate the puppets in a puppet show; hence (Chiefly Political Slang), the network of hidden influences controlling the action of a person or organization; as, to pull the wires for office; -- in this sense, synonymous with strings.

4. One who picks women's pockets. [Thieves' Slang]

5. A knitting needle. [Scot.]

6. A wire stretching across over a race track at the judges' stand, to mark the line at which the races end. [Racing Cant] Wire bed, Wire mattress, an elastic bed bottom or mattress made of wires interwoven or looped together in various ways. Wire bridge, a bridge suspended from wires, or cables made of wire. Wire cartridge, a shot cartridge having the shot inclosed in a wire cage. Wire cloth, a coarse cloth made of woven metallic wire, -- used for strainers, and for various other purposes. Wire edge, the thin, wirelike thread of metal sometimes formed on the edge of a tool by the stone in sharpening it. Wire fence, a fence consisting of posts with strained horizontal wires, wire netting, or other wirework, between. Wire gauge or Wire gage.

   1. A gauge for measuring the diameter of wire, thickness of sheet metal, etc., often consisting of a metal plate with a series of notches of various widths in its edge.

   2. A standard series of sizes arbitrarily indicated, as by numbers, to which the diameter of wire or the thickness of sheet metal in usually made, and which is used in describing the size or thickness. There are many different standards for wire gauges, as in different countries, or for different kinds of metal, the Birmingham wire gauges and the American wire gauge being often used and designated by the abbreviations B. W. G. and A. W. G. respectively.

      Wire gauze, a texture of finely interwoven wire, resembling gauze.

      Wire grass (Bot.), either of the two common grasses Eleusine Indica, valuable for hay and pasture, and Poa compressa, or blue grass. See Blue grass.

      Wire grub (Zo["o]l.), a wireworm.

      Wire iron, wire rods of iron.

      Wire lathing, wire cloth or wire netting applied in the place of wooden lathing for holding plastering.

      Wire mattress. See Wire bed, above.

      Wire micrometer, a micrometer having spider lines, or fine wires, across the field of the instrument.

      Wire nail, a nail formed of a piece of wire which is headed and pointed.

      Wire netting, a texture of woven wire coarser than ordinary wire gauze.

      Wire rod, a metal rod from which wire is formed by drawing.

      Wire rope, a rope formed wholly, or in great part, of wires.

      down to the wire, up to the last moment, as in a race or competition; as, the two front runners were neck-and-neck down to the wire. From wire[6].

      under the wire, just in time; shortly before the deadline; as, to file an application just under the wire.

Gauge \Gauge\, n. [Written also gage.]

1. A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard.

   This plate must be a gauge to file your worm and groove to equal breadth by.
   --Moxon.

   There is not in our hands any fixed gauge of minds.
   --I. Taylor.

2. Measure; dimensions; estimate.

   The gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt.
   --Burke.

3. (Mach. & Manuf.) Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the dimensions or forms of things; a templet or template; as, a button maker's gauge.

4. (Physics) Any instrument or apparatus for measuring the state of a phenomenon, or for ascertaining its numerical elements at any moment; -- usually applied to some particular instrument; as, a rain gauge; a steam gauge.

5. (Naut.)

   1. Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind; as, a vessel has the weather gauge of another when on the windward side of it, and the lee gauge when on the lee side of it.

   2. The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
      --Totten.

6. The distance between the rails of a railway.

   Note: The standard gauge of railroads in most countries is four feet, eight and one half inches. Wide, or broad, gauge, in the United States, is six feet; in England, seven feet, and generally any gauge exceeding standard gauge. Any gauge less than standard gauge is now called narrow gauge. It varies from two feet to three feet six inches.

7. (Plastering) The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to accelerate its setting.

8. (Building) That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of such shingles, slates, or tiles. Gauge of a carriage, car, etc., the distance between the wheels; -- ordinarily called the track. Gauge cock, a stop cock used as a try cock for ascertaining the height of the water level in a steam boiler. Gauge concussion (Railroads), the jar caused by a car-wheel flange striking the edge of the rail. Gauge glass, a glass tube for a water gauge. Gauge lathe, an automatic lathe for turning a round object having an irregular profile, as a baluster or chair round, to a templet or gauge. Gauge point, the diameter of a cylinder whose altitude is one inch, and contents equal to that of a unit of a given measure; -- a term used in gauging casks, etc. Gauge rod, a graduated rod, for measuring the capacity of barrels, casks, etc. Gauge saw, a handsaw, with a gauge to regulate the depth of cut. --Knight. Gauge stuff, a stiff and compact plaster, used in making cornices, moldings, etc., by means of a templet. Gauge wheel, a wheel at the forward end of a plow beam, to determine the depth of the furrow. Joiner's gauge, an instrument used to strike a line parallel to the straight side of a board, etc. Printer's gauge, an instrument to regulate the length of the page. Rain gauge, an instrument for measuring the quantity of rain at any given place. Salt gauge, or Brine gauge, an instrument or contrivance for indicating the degree of saltness of water from its specific gravity, as in the boilers of ocean steamers. Sea gauge, an instrument for finding the depth of the sea. Siphon gauge, a glass siphon tube, partly filled with mercury, -- used to indicate pressure, as of steam, or the degree of rarefaction produced in the receiver of an air pump or other vacuum; a manometer. Sliding gauge. (Mach.)

   1. A templet or pattern for gauging the commonly accepted dimensions or shape of certain parts in general use, as screws, railway-car axles, etc.

   2. A gauge used only for testing other similar gauges, and preserved as a reference, to detect wear of the working gauges.

   3. (Railroads) See Note under Gauge, n., 5. Star gauge (Ordnance), an instrument for measuring the diameter of the bore of a cannon at any point of its length. Steam gauge, an instrument for measuring the pressure of steam, as in a boiler. Tide gauge, an instrument for determining the height of the tides. Vacuum gauge, a species of barometer for determining the relative elasticities of the vapor in the condenser of a steam engine and the air. Water gauge.

      1. A contrivance for indicating the height of a water surface, as in a steam boiler; as by a gauge cock or glass.

      2. The height of the water in the boiler.

         Wind gauge, an instrument for measuring the force of the wind on any given surface; an anemometer.

         Wire gauge, a gauge for determining the diameter of wire or the thickness of sheet metal; also, a standard of size. See under Wire.

n. gauge for measuring the diameter of wire [syn: wire gage]

Wire gauge is a measurement of how large a wire is, either in diameter or cross sectional area. This determines the amount of electric current a wire can safely carry, as well as its electrical resistance and weight per unit of length. Wire gauge is applicable to both electrical and non-electrical wires, being important to electrical wiring and to structural cable.