tide-gauge: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Scientific
Quick answer
What does “tide-gauge” mean?
An instrument or device for measuring and recording the height of the tide.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An instrument or device for measuring and recording the height of the tide.
A station or site equipped with such instruments, often part of a network for monitoring sea levels, coastal erosion, or providing data for navigation and climate science.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and hyphenation conventions are similar. The term is equally technical in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral technical term in both regions.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general discourse but standard within oceanography, hydrography, and coastal engineering.
Grammar
How to Use “tide-gauge” in a Sentence
The [ADJ] tide-gauge [VERB]...Data from the tide-gauge [VERB]...to monitor [NOUN] with a tide-gaugeVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in maritime insurance or port management contexts.
Academic
Standard term in oceanography, geography, and climate science papers.
Everyday
Virtually never used; 'tide table' or 'tide chart' are more common for public information.
Technical
Core, precise term in hydrographic surveying, coastal engineering, and meteorology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tide-gauge”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tide-gauge”
- Confusing 'tide-gauge' with 'tide table' (the latter is a chart of predictions, not a measuring device).
- Using 'tide gauge' as a verb.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most correctly written as two words ('tide gauge') or with a hyphen ('tide-gauge'). The hyphenated form is common in technical writing.
No, it measures and records actual water levels. Predictions are made using mathematical models based on historical data from tide-gauges.
They are installed on piers, harbour walls, breakwaters, or specially built stations along coastlines, estuaries, and in some major ports.
A tide-gauge measures the slow rise and fall of the mean sea level (tide). A wave buoy measures the rapid, shorter-period motions of individual waves.
An instrument or device for measuring and recording the height of the tide.
Tide-gauge is usually technical/scientific in register.
Tide-gauge: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪd ɡeɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪd ɡeɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a fuel GAUGE in a car, but for the TIDE – it measures how 'full' the sea level is.
Conceptual Metaphor
MEASURING IS SEEING (The gauge makes the invisible change in sea level visible and quantifiable).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of a tide-gauge?