measurement

measurement (ˈmɛʒəmənt)

—n
1.	the act or process of measuring
2.	an amount, extent, or size determined by measuring
3.	a system of measures based on a particular standard

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

measurement

1751, from 'measaure + -ment. Related: Measurements.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

measurement

(mězh'ər-mənt) Pronunciation Key

(click for larger image in new window)

A method of determining quantity, capacity, or dimension. Several systems of measurement exist, each one comprising units whose amounts have been arbitrarily set and agreed upon by specific groups. While the United States Customary System remains the most commonly used system of measurement in the United States, the International System is accepted all over the world as the standard system for use in science.

FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

measurement definition

testing
The act or process of measuring; a figure, extent, or amount obtained by measuring.
(1996-12-27)

Example sentences

The index is a measurement of weight divided by height, not height divided by

weight.

Most physical exams include a blood pressure measurement.

The average mistake was half an inch, and one measurement was off by almost

five inches.

Satellite measurement of wave heights on the ocean's surface, for example, is

remarkably accurate.

Enjoy Dictionary.com ad-free! Learn more

metage meterage observation scale sounding uncertainty principle

Images for measurement

Matching Quote

"Numbers are the product of counting. Quantities are the product of measurement. This means that numbers can conceivably be accurate because there is a discontinuity between each integer and the next. Between two and three there is a jump. In the case of quantity, there is no such jump; and because jump is missing in the world of quantity, it is impossible for any quantity to be exact. You can have exactly three tomatoes. You can never have exactly three gallons of water. Always quantity is approximate."

-Gregory Bateson