size-up
[ sahyz-uhp ]
/ ˈsaɪzˌʌp /
noun
an appraisal or estimation, especially as the result of sizing up: asking for a size-up of the new office equipment.
Origin of size-up
noun use of verb phrase
size up
Words nearby size-up
sizar,
size,
size queen,
size up,
size zero,
size-up,
size-weight illusion,
sizeable,
sized,
sizeism,
sizer
Definition for size up (2 of 2)
size
1
[ sahyz ]
/ saɪz /
noun
verb (used with object), sized, siz·ing.
Verb Phrases
size up, Informal.
- to form an estimate of (a situation, person, etc.); judge: They sized him up with a look.
- to meet a certain standard: He doesn't size up to my expectations.
Origin of size
1
1250–1300; (noun) Middle English
syse orig., control, regulation, limit < Old French
sise, aphetic variant of
assise
assize; (v.) in part representing late Middle English
sisen to regulate (itself partly derivative of the noun, partly aphetic variant of
assisen to fix, ordain, assess < Old French
assiser, derivative of
assise
assize), in part derivative of the noun in later senses
synonym study for size
1.
Size,
volume,
mass,
bulk are terms referring to the extent or dimensions of that which has magnitude and occupies space.
Size is the general word:
of great size; small in size.
Volume often applies to something that has no fixed shape:
Smoke has volume.
Mass, also, does not suggest shape, but suggests a quantity of matter in a solid body:
a mass of concrete.
Bulk suggests weight, and often a recognizable, though perhaps unwieldy, shape:
the huge bulk of an elephant.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH size
sighs sizeBritish Dictionary definitions for size up (1 of 3)
size up
verb (adverb)
(tr)
to make an assessment of (a person, problem, etc)
to conform to or make so as to conform to certain specifications of dimension
British Dictionary definitions for size up (2 of 3)
size
1
/ (saɪz) /
noun
the dimensions, proportions, amount, or extent of something
large or great dimensions, etc
one of a series of graduated measurements, as of clothing
she takes size 4 shoes
informal
state of affairs as summarized
he's bankrupt, that's the size of it
verb
to sort according to size
(tr)
to make or cut to a particular size or sizes
Derived forms of size
sizer, nounWord Origin for size
C13: from Old French
sise, shortened from
assise
assize
usage for size
The use of
-size and
-sized after
large or
small is redundant, except when describing something which is made in specific sizes:
a large (not
large-size)
organization. Similarly,
in size is redundant in the expressions
large in size and
small in size
British Dictionary definitions for size up (3 of 3)
size
2
/ (saɪz) /
noun
Also called: sizing
a thin gelatinous mixture, made from glue, clay, or wax, that is used as a sealer or filler on paper, cloth, or plaster surfaces
verb
(tr)
to treat or coat (a surface) with size
Derived forms of size
sizy, adjectiveWord Origin for size
C15: perhaps from Old French
sise; see
size
1
Idioms and Phrases with size up (1 of 2)
size up
Make an estimate, opinion, or judgment of, as in She sized up her opponent and decided to withdraw from the election. This usage transfers measuring the size of something to broader meaning. [Late 1800s]
Idioms and Phrases with size up (2 of 2)
size