Meaning & use
gauge earrings
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
Earrings designed for piercings that have been stretched wider than a standard piercing.
Grammar: Always used in the plural to refer to the pair or the category; for one item, say 'a gauge earring'.
Patterns
- wear gauge earrings
- a pair of gauge earrings
He bought a pair of gauge earrings made of surgical steel.
She designs gauge earrings in sizes from 8 to 00.
Gauge earrings come in many materials, including wood and glass.
Word forms
| singular | gauge earring |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear gauge earrings
- He likes to wear gauge earrings on weekends.
- a pair of gauge earrings
- She lost one of her favorite pair of gauge earrings.
- stretched piercing
- Gauge earrings are made for a stretched piercing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plugs
- Plugs are a type of gauge earring with a flat front and back, while gauge earrings can also include tunnels or other shapes.
- tunnels
- Tunnels are hollow gauge earrings that let you see through the earlobe, a specific style rather than the general term.
Word family
- gauge verb
- To stretch a piercing gradually, as in 'She gauged her ears to a 2.'
Commonly confused: gauge earrings or gauge?
gauge earrings vs gauge
As a verb, 'gauge' means to measure or estimate; in the context of body jewelry, it means to stretch a piercing. The noun 'gauge' also refers to the size of the jewelry.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'gauge earrings' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Gauge earrings' is a plural noun, so it takes a plural verb and no article when referring to the category. Option 1 is wrong because 'a' is singular. Option 2 is wrong because 'is' is singular. Option 3 confuses the jewelry with the tool 'gauge' used for measuring.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gauge earrings”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.