Gauge vs. Gouge — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 8, 2024
Gauge measures thickness or size, often in tools or measurements, while gouge means to scoop or dig out, typically used in carving or injury.
Difference Between Gauge and Gouge
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A gauge is a measurement tool or device used to determine the thickness, size, or capacity of something. It can refer to instruments for measuring physical quantities like pressure, depth, or diameter. Whereas gouge is a verb meaning to cut or scoop out with a rounded blade or a noun referring to a chisel with a concave blade used for carving wood.
Gauges are essential in various fields such as manufacturing, automotive, and engineering, ensuring precision and safety in measurements. On the other hand, gouges are primarily used in woodworking, sculpting, and sometimes in surgery, for cutting or carving in a curved fashion.
While a gauge can also refer to the size of a shotgun barrel or the thickness of wire, indicating a standard dimension, a gouge implies an action that removes material, creating a hollow or groove. Gauges help maintain standards and accuracy, whereas gouges are tools for creating and shaping.
In terms of usage, gauges are found in both professional settings, like laboratories and workshops, and everyday use, such as tire pressure gauges. Gouges, however, are more specialized tools that require skill and precision, used by craftsmen, artists, and surgeons.
Gauge and gouge differ not just in their definitions but also in their applications—gauges being more about measurement and standards, while gouges are about the art of removal and shaping, demonstrating the diversity of tools and actions in physical tasks.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A device for measurement or a standard dimension.
A tool for cutting or carving, or the act of cutting/carving.
Primary Use
Measurement of size, thickness, pressure, etc.
Carving or scooping out material.
Fields
Manufacturing, automotive, engineering, etc.
Woodworking, sculpting, surgery.
Type
Can be a noun or verb (e.g., to gauge something).
Primarily a noun, but also used as a verb.
Example Tool
Pressure gauge, shotgun gauge, wire gauge.
Woodworking gouge, surgical gouge.
Compare with Definitions
Gauge
Measurement tool.
The engineer used a gauge to measure the thickness of the metal sheet.
Gouge
To scoop out.
He gouged a hole in the wood with a sharp tool.
Gauge
To measure.
He gauged the distance between the two points accurately.
Gouge
Carving tool.
The sculptor picked up a gouge to work on the intricate details of the sculpture.
Gauge
Device indicating level or quantity.
The fuel gauge in her car showed that it was almost empty.
Gouge
Hollow carved out.
The accident left a gouge in the side of the car.
Gauge
Standard of measurement.
Wire is sold by gauge, indicating its thickness.
Gouge
Tool with a curved blade.
Woodworkers use a gouge for creating rounded grooves.
Gauge
Dimension in shotguns.
He prefers a 12-gauge shotgun for hunting.
Gouge
Act of charging unfairly.
The company was accused of gouging customers with high prices.
Gauge
An instrument that measures and gives a visual display of the amount, level, or contents of something
A fuel gauge
Gouge
A chisel with a blade that has a rounded, angled, or troughlike indentation along its length.
Gauge
The thickness, size, or capacity of something, especially as a standard measure.
Gouge
A scooping or digging action, as with such a chisel.
Gauge
The position of a sailing ship to windward (the weather gage) or leeward (the lee gage) of another
The French fleet was heavily outnumbered but had the weather gage
Gouge
A groove or hole scooped with or as if with such a chisel.
Gauge
Estimate or determine the amount, level, or volume of
Astronomers can gauge the star's intrinsic brightness
Gouge
(Informal) A large amount, as of money, exacted or extorted.
Gauge
Measure the dimensions of (an object) with a gauge
When dry the assemblies can be gauged exactly
Gouge
To cut or scoop out with or as if with a gouge
"He began to gouge a small pattern in the sand with his cane" (Vladimir Nabokov).
Gauge
The distance between the two rails of a railroad.
Gouge
To force out the eye of (a person) with one's thumb.
Gauge
The distance between two wheels on an axle.
Gouge
To thrust one's thumb into the eye of.
Gauge
The interior diameter of a shotgun barrel as determined by the number of lead balls of a size exactly fitting the barrel that are required to make one pound. Often used in combination
A 12-gauge shotgun.
Gouge
(Informal) To extort from.
Gauge
The thickness or diameter of sheet metal, wire, or a similar manufactured material or piece.
Gouge
(Slang) To swindle.
Gauge
The fineness of knitted cloth as measured by the number of stitches per a given unit of length.
Gouge
Senses relating to cutting tools.
Gauge
A standard or scale of measurement
The capacity of barrels was measured according to the gauge in use at the time.
Gouge
A chisel with a curved blade for cutting or scooping channels, grooves, or holes in wood, stone, etc.
Gauge
An instrument for measuring the dimensions, capacity, or amount of something
A pressure gauge.
A fuel gauge.
Gouge
A bookbinder's tool with a curved face, used for blind tooling or gilding.
Gauge
A means of estimating or evaluating; a test
A gauge of character.
Gouge
An incising tool that cuts blanks or forms for envelopes, gloves, etc., from leather, paper, or other materials.
Gauge
(Nautical) The position of a vessel in relation to another vessel and the wind.
Gouge
A cut or groove, as left by a gouge or something sharp.
The nail left a deep gouge in the tire.
Gauge
To measure the dimensions, capacity, proportions, or amount of (something), especially by means of a gauge
Gauged the thickness of the metal part.
Gouge
An act of gouging.
Gauge
To evaluate or estimate
Gauge a person's interest.
Gouge
(slang) A cheat, a fraud; an imposition.
Gauge
To adapt or make conform to a specified standard
Pressure valves that are gauged to industry requirements.
Gouge
(slang) An impostor.
Gauge
To chip or rub (bricks or stones) to size.
Gouge
(mining) Soft material lying between the wall of a vein and the solid vein of ore.
Gauge
To stretch (a pierced earlobe or other body part) by inserting progressively larger objects over a long period of time.
Gouge
Information.
Gauge
Of or relating to a gauge.
Gouge
(transitive) To make a groove, hole, or mark in by scooping with or as if with a gouge.
Japanese and Chinese printers used to gouge characters in wood.
Gauge
(Physics) Invariant under a local transformation.
Gouge
(transitive) To cheat or impose upon; in particular, to charge an unfairly or unreasonably high price.
The company has no competition, so it tends to gouge its customers.
Gauge
A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
Gouge
To dig or scoop (something) out with or as if with a gouge; in particular, to use a thumb to push or try to push the eye (of a person) out of its socket.
Gauge
An act of measuring.
Gouge
(intransitive) To use a gouge.
Gauge
An estimate.
Gouge
A chisel, with a hollow or semicylindrical blade, for scooping or cutting holes, channels, or grooves, in wood, stone, etc.; a similar instrument, with curved edge, for turning wood.
Gauge
Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things
Gouge
A bookbinder's tool for blind tooling or gilding, having a face which forms a curve.
Gauge
A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes.
Gouge
An incising tool which cuts forms or blanks for gloves, envelopes, etc. from leather, paper, etc.
Gauge
(rail) track gauge
Gouge
Soft material lying between the wall of a vein and the solid vein.
Gauge
(rail) loading gauge
Gouge
The act of scooping out with a gouge, or as with a gouge; a groove or cavity scooped out, as with a gouge.
Gauge
A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space.
Gouge
Imposition; cheat; fraud; also, an impostor; a cheat; a trickish person.
Gauge
(knitting) The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance.
Gouge
An impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
Gauge
(nautical) Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind.
A vessel has the weather gauge of another when on the windward side of it, and the lee gauge when on the lee side of it.
Gouge
And edge tool with a blade like a trough for cutting channels or grooves
Gauge
(nautical) The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
Gouge
The act of gouging
Gauge
(plastering) The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to make it set more quickly.
Gouge
Force with the thumb;
Gouge out his eyes
Gauge
That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of such shingles, slates, or tiles.
Gouge
Obtain by coercion or intimidation;
They extorted money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss
They squeezed money from the owner of the business by threatening him
Gauge
(firearms) A unit of measurement which describes how many spheres of bore diameter of a shotgun can be had from one pound of lead; 12 gauge is roughly equivalent to .75 caliber.
Gouge
Make a groove in
Gauge
A shotgun (synecdoche for 12 gauge shotgun, the most common chambering for combat and hunting shotguns).
Gauge
A tunnel-like ear piercing consisting of a hollow ring embedded in the lobe.
Gauge
Cannabis.
Gauge
(transitive) To measure or determine with a gauge; to measure the capacity of.
Gauge
(transitive) To estimate.
Gauge
(transitive) To appraise the character or ability of; to judge of.
Gauge
To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it.
Gauge
(transitive) To mix (a quantity of ordinary plaster) with a quantity of plaster of Paris.
Gauge
(transitive) To chip, hew or polish (stones, bricks, etc) to a standard size and/or shape.
Gauge
To measure or determine with a gauge.
Gauge
To measure or to ascertain the contents or the capacity of, as of a pipe, barrel, or keg.
Gauge
To measure the dimensions of, or to test the accuracy of the form of, as of a part of a gunlock.
The vanes nicely gauged on each side.
Gauge
To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it, as cloth or a garment.
Gauge
To measure the capacity, character, or ability of; to estimate; to judge of.
You shall not gauge meBy what we do to-night.
Gauge
A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard.
This plate must be a gauge to file your worm and groove to equal breadth by.
There is not in our hands any fixed gauge of minds.
Gauge
Measure; dimensions; estimate.
The gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt.
Gauge
Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the dimensions or forms of things; a templet or template; as, a button maker's gauge.
Gauge
Any instrument or apparatus for measuring the state of a phenomenon, or for ascertaining its numerical elements at any moment; - usually applied to some particular instrument; as, a rain gauge; a steam gauge.
Gauge
Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind; as, a vessel has the weather gauge of another when on the windward side of it, and the lee gauge when on the lee side of it.
Gauge
The distance between the rails of a railway.
Gauge
The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to accelerate its setting.
Gauge
That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of such shingles, slates, or tiles.
Gauge
A measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.
Gauge
Accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared
Gauge
The distance between the rails of a railway or between the wheels of a train
Gauge
The thickness of wire
Gauge
Diameter of a tube or gun barrel
Gauge
Judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time);
I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds
Gauge
Rub to a uniform size;
Gauge bricks
Gauge
Determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation;
Gauge the wine barrels
Gauge
Measure precisely and against a standard;
The wire is gauged
Gauge
Adapt to a specified measurement;
Gauge the instruments
Gauge
Mix in specific proportions;
Gauge plaster
Common Curiosities
What is a gauge?
A gauge is a tool or instrument used to measure the size, amount, or degree of something, or it can refer to a standard measurement.
How do you use a gauge?
You use a gauge by applying it to or aligning it with the object or parameter you want to measure, following the specific instructions for that gauge type.
What are some common types of gauges?
Common types of gauges include pressure gauges, thickness gauges, and fuel gauges.
Can gauge and gouge be used interchangeably?
No, gauge and gouge have different meanings and uses; gauge is related to measurement, while gouge refers to cutting or carving.
What is a gouge used for?
A gouge is used for carving or scooping out material, often in woodworking or sculpting.
Is gouging illegal?
While the term "gouging" can also refer to overcharging, price gouging during emergencies is illegal in many places.
What’s the difference between a gouge and a chisel?
A gouge has a curved cutting edge for carving or scooping, while a chisel has a straight edge for cutting or shaping material.
What does gouge mean?
Gouge can refer to a tool with a curved blade used for carving or the act of carving or scooping out material.
What materials can a gouge be used on?
Gouges are commonly used on wood, but they can also be used on other materials like clay, depending on the type of gouge.
How do I choose the right gauge for a task?
Choosing the right gauge depends on the specific measurement or standard you need to assess, such as pressure, thickness, or wire size.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
