gauge vs order of magnitude

gauge

noun
  • An act of measuring. 

  • Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind. 

  • A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space. 

  • The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to make it set more quickly. 

  • 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. 

  • The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water. 

  • A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard 

  • Cannabis. 

  • An estimate. 

  • Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things 

  • A shotgun (synecdoche for 12 gauge shotgun, the most common chambering for combat and hunting shotguns). 

  • A tunnel-like ear piercing consisting of a hollow ring embedded in the lobe. 

  • A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes. 

  • The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance. 

  • 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. 

verb
  • To measure or determine with a gauge; to measure the capacity of. 

  • To estimate. 

  • To mix (a quantity of ordinary plaster) with a quantity of plaster of Paris. 

  • To chip, hew or polish (stones, bricks, etc) to a standard size and/or shape. 

  • To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it. 

  • To appraise the character or ability of; to judge of. 

order of magnitude

noun
  • The class of scale or magnitude of any amount, where each class contains values of a fixed ratio (most often 10) to the class preceding it. For example, something that is 2 orders of magnitude larger is 100 times larger, something that is 3 orders of magnitude larger is 1000 times larger, and something that is 6 orders of magnitude larger is a million times larger, because 10² = 100, 10³ = 1000, and 10⁶ = a million. 

How often have the words gauge and order of magnitude occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )