ENGLISH
REFERENCE

square

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈskwɛɹ// UK //skwˈeə// square Archaic General-service Informal Slang Vulgar

n. a shape with four straight sides that are all the same length, and four corners that are perfect right angles.

n. a regular quadrilateral, which is a polygon with four equal-length sides and four right angles.


SIMPLE

A chessboard is made of black and white squares.

CONTEXTUAL

He cut the paper into a perfect square to make an origami bird.

COMPLEX

The town was built around a central square, a vast paved area where markets were held and public announcements were made.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English square, sqware, squyre; from Old French esquarre, esquerre, (modern French équerre), from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, from Latin ex- + quadro, from quadrus (compare English quad and quadra). Doublet of squad and squadra. Displaced Old English fēowerecge (fēower nominative + ecg accusative, as in "four-edged").

Idioms7 entries

© 2026 English Reference