gauge

Definition 1

Unit of thickness of a metal sheet or wire. (1) For sheet metal, a retrogressive scale (higher numbers mean lower thickness) that starts with 10 gauge representing a thickness of 3.416 millimeters or 0.1345 inches. As the gauge number increases, the thickness drops by 10 percent. For example, a 12 gauge sheet is 2.732 millimeters thick, and a 13 gauge sheet is 2.391 millimeters thick. (2) For wire thickness there are two scales, see American wire Gauge for the first one. The second is a metric scale in which a gauge number is equal to 10 times the diameter of the wire in millimeters. For example, a 5 gauge wire is 0.5 millimeter in diameter and a 6 gauge wire is 0.6 millimeter in diameter. Also spelled as gage.

Definition 2

Instrument with a graduated dial or scale used in measuring a dimension or quantity or for establishing mechanical accuracy.