You searched for: “gage
gage, gage, gauge
gage (GAYJ) (noun)
1. Something that is given or left as security until a debt is paid or an obligation is fulfilled: Billy signed a gage stating that he would repay the loan.
2. A glove or other object that is thrown down or offered as a challenge to fight: The knight hurled his scarf down at the feet of the other warrior as a gage to confront him in a duel.
gage (GAYJ) (verb)
To offer something as security against a debt or other obligation: Laura promised to gage her necklace in order to reimburse the expenses of the trip.
gauge and/or gage (GAYJ) (noun)
1. A measuring instrument for determining and indicating a quantity; such as, the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.; estimate, judge, appraise, ascertain: The teacher asked, "James, do you have the proper gauge to measure the distance to the top of that hill?"
2. Measuring instrument, measuring device, standard, criterion: This gauge registers the pressure in pounds.
3. Size, measurement, internal diameter, inner measurement, inner dimension: What gauge is that cannon?

In the sense of "measurement", gauge is the preferable spelling. With the meaning of "a pledge", gage is the correct and preferred form.

In order to gauge his sincerity, she asked him to leave a gage in her safekeeping. This was the equivalent of the gage often referred to in romantic medieval ballads either when the princess could gauge the affections of the knight by the gage he left her or when a knight would throw his glove or gage to the ground to challenge an opponent.

More possibly related word entries
A unit related to: “gage
(French: pledge, promise; release, free)
Word Entries containing the term: “gage
Coulomb gage
A gage in which the divergence of the magnetic vector potential is equal to zero.
This entry is located in the following unit: coulomb + (page 1)
electron vacuum gage
A tool used to measure a vacuum with the ionization effect that an electron flow (from an incandescent filament to a charged grid) has on gas molecules.
This entry is located in the following unit: electro-, electr-, electri- (page 54)
gamma gage, gamma-absorption gage
A penetration-type thickness gage that measures the thickness or density of a sample by measuring its absorption of gamma rays.
This entry is located in the following unit: gamma; Γ, γ + (page 1)
Word Entries at Get Words: “gage
gage
French: pledge, promise; release, free in this unit.