From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsizesize1 /saɪz/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 how big [countable, uncountable]SIZE how big or small something is He’s a small boy, about John’s size. The Jensens’ house is about the same size as ours.size of The firm underestimated the size of the market for their new product. I saw a spider the size of (=the same size as) my hand in the backyard. He’s quite a big dog, but he’s still not full size yet.in size The apartment is roughly 360 square feet in size.(of) that/this size (=as big as that or this) In a class this size, there are bound to be a few troublemakers. We can’t give loans of that size to just anyone.in all/different/various (shapes and) sizes These phones come in all shapes and sizes.good/fair/nice size (=fairly big) The breakfast room is a good size.2 very big [uncountable]BIG used to say that something is very bigsize of I can’t believe the size of her car! The sheer size of the classes makes learning difficult for students.3 clothes/goods [countable]DCSIZE one of a set of standard measures according to which clothes and other goods are produced and sold These shoes are one size too big. The shirts come in three sizes: small, medium, and large. Do you have these pants in a size 12?4 → large-sized/medium-sized/pocket-size etc5 → do something to size6 → that’s about the size of it7 paste [uncountable] (also sizing) a thick sticky liquid used for giving stiffness and a shiny surface to cloth, paper etc, or used to prepare walls for wallpaper → cut somebody down to size at cut down, → try something on for size at try1(2)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesthe same sizeThe water vole is about the same size as a rat.a different sizeSix towns of different sizes were selected for the research.a good/fair/nice size (=fairly big)The garden is a good size.the small size of somethingOne problem was the very small size of the department.the large size of somethingThey are very peaceful fish, despite their large size.the sheer size of something (=used to emphasize that something is large)The sheer size of some dinosaurs is amazing.something’s original sizeThe lake has already shrunk to half its original size.full size (=the largest size that something can have)Is this violin full size?phrasesbe twice the size of somethingThe creature was about twice the size of a small dog.be half the size of somethingKosovo is about half the size of Wales. THESAURUSsize noun [countable, uncountable] how big someone or something isWhat size is that shirt?The price will depend on the size and quality of the carpet.Your desk is exactly the same size as mine.Fire has destroyed an area of forest the size of Luxembourg.The seeds are very small, about half the size of a grain of salt.There were several pieces of wood of different sizes.Cover the dough and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size.The black spots on her skin seemed to be slowly increasing in size.The American states vary enormously in size, from very large to very small.In a class this size, there will always be a few problems.dimensions noun [plural] the length, width, and height of an object, room, building etcWhat are the dimensions of the table?measurements noun [plural] the length, width, or height of something, or of someone’s bodyI need to check the measurements of the window.Your waist measurement is 31 inches.The nurse took my measurements.proportions noun [plural] the relative sizes of the different parts of an object, room, building etcThe proportions don’t look right to me.You can sit in the Plaza and admire the proportions of the cathedral.area noun [countable, uncountable] the amount of space that a flat surface such as a floor or field coversTo measure the area of a room, you need to multiply the length by the width.extent noun [uncountable] the size of a large areaThe extent of the ranch is enormous.The island measured about 1,600 kilometres in extent.bulk noun [uncountable] the very large size of somethingThe statue’s massive bulk made it difficult to move. his enormous bulkThe view was dominated by the huge bulk of the power station.capacity noun [singular] the amount that a container will holdThe capacity of the tank is around 500 gallons.The computer’s memory has a capacity of over 200 megabytes.All the storage units were filled to capacity.volume noun [singular] the amount of space that a substance fills, or that an object containsThe average domestic swimming pool has a volume of 45,000 litres.This instrument measures the volume of air in your lungs.Help me figure out the volume of this fish tank.The shifting of continents has an impact on the volume of water the oceans can contain.
Examples from the Corpus
size• However, it is possible to produce lexicons of comparable size that relate words to a much smaller number of roots.• There were several pieces of wood of different sizes.• He was incredibly aggressive - it was only his size that stopped me from hitting him.• Cover the dough and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size.• The American states vary enormously in size, from very large to very small.• The black spots on her skin seemed to be slowly increasing in size.• He smoothed the bills out, lined the coins up on top of his thigh, in size order.• The bureaucratic style can be very efficient in a stable environment and when the organisation is of a large size.• Jensens' house is about the same size as ours.• Your desk is exactly the same size as mine.• The sheer size of the building was amazing.• They shouldn't keep a dog of that size in such a small apartment.• Many above ground filters make outrageous claims about the size of pond they can treat.• Look at the size of that house!• Fire has destroyed an area of forest the size of Luxembourg.• The general thinking was it would be about half the size of what it announced, about 20,000.• The seeds are very small, about half the size of a grain of salt.• The price will depend on the size and quality of the carpet.• There are restrictions on the size and weight of packages we can ship.• I hadn't realized the size of the problem until now.• Bodacious and Bonemeal chewed rawhide strips the size of ceiling molding.• It was three times the size of the Jamestown colony that was founded in 1607.• The use of rollers of varying size, colour and shape might be spontaneously sorted into trays provided.• What size is that shirt?• What size shoes does Kelly wear?good/fair/nice size• Buying loose bulbs enables you to choose those which are a good size and not damaged or soft.• I used to be a good size.• The younger ones are more gaudy and of course a better size for aquariums.• All the rooms at the Yahsi Beach are of a good size and have private facilities and balconies.• Male speaker It's a good size.• The ledger was a fair size, and surely couldn't easily escape her.• It offers good size accommodation, benefiting from three good bedrooms, two separate reception rooms and partial gas fired central heating.• Usually we can never get great big pumpkins but you can get some pretty good sized pumpkins.sheer size• The last cushion the big studios can rely on is sheer size.• The most impressive thing about the diamond is its sheer size.• He was slightly taken aback by the sheer size of the girl.• One of the difficulties is the sheer size of the family.• I grow bored with the sheer size of the glass and have to force myself to continue, he wrote.• The sheer size of the pancakes is truly astounding.• The sheer size of the sanctuary represented Mount Meru, the mythical Olympus on which the gods were believed to live.• You practically needed a stepladder to get their autographs, and their sheer size and strength was intimidating and overwhelming.• The problem was their sheer size.sizesize2 verb [transitive] 1 GROUP/PUT INTO GROUPSto sort things according to their size Shrimp are sized and selected for canning.2 to make something into a particular size or sizes Most costume patterns are sized for children.Grammar Size is usually passive in this meaning.3 to put size1(7) on a wall before decorating → size somebody/something ↔ up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
size• Shrimp are sized for canning into large, medium and small.• He had sized me up, he later explained, and had decided to take me under his wing.• For watercolourists, it is critical to find a paper that is perfectly sized, so washes simply shimmer on the surface.Origin size1 (1100-1200) Old French assise “sitting to make a legal judgment or a judgment on standard amounts”, from asseoir “to seat” 