Meaning & use
wind gage
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
An instrument that measures how fast the wind is blowing, or sometimes how hard it pushes on a surface.
Grammar: Countable: a wind gage, two wind gages.
Patterns
- a wind gage on something
- read the wind gage
The sailor checked the wind gage before leaving the harbor.
A small wind gage was mounted on top of the shed.
The weather station replaced its old wind gage with a digital one.
nouncountablespecialist
A device or mark on a rifle sight that lets a shooter adjust for the push of the wind on a bullet.
Grammar: Countable and specialist, used in target shooting: adjust the wind gage.
Patterns
- adjust the wind gage
- set the wind gage
He turned the wind gage a few clicks to the left before firing.
The scope has a fine wind gage for long-range shots.
She trusted her rifle's wind gage on blustery days.
Word forms
| plural | wind gages |
|---|
Common combinations
- read the wind gage
- Read the wind gage before you set the sails.
- hand-held wind gage
- He carries a hand-held wind gage on hikes.
- adjust the wind gage
- The marksman adjusted the wind gage for the crosswind.
- mount a wind gage
- They mounted a wind gage on the roof of the observatory.
Synonyms and how they differ
- anemometer
- Anemometer is the formal scientific word for a wind-speed instrument, whereas wind gage is plain and descriptive.
- wind meter
- Wind meter is a casual term for a handheld electronic device, while wind gage is slightly older and broader.
- wind gauge
- Wind gauge is the common spelling in British and international English, with the same meaning.
- windsock
- A windsock shows wind direction and rough strength by eye, but it does not give a measured number.
Word family
Commonly confused: wind gage or wind gauge? wind gage or wine gage?
wind gage vs wind gauge
Wind gauge is just the more common spelling of the same word, not a different instrument.
wind gage vs wine gage
This is a misspelling. A wine gauge is a separate tool for checking the level of wine in a barrel.
Practice
Before the long-distance shot, the competitor glanced at the ___ to see how strongly the breeze was pushing.
Choose one answer.
A wind gage measures wind strength, which is what the shooter needs. A barometer measures air pressure, and a thermometer measures temperature.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wind gage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.