How big or small something is, usually measured in length, height, weight, or amount. It can also refer to a standard measurement, like clothing sizes.
“Size” came from Old French “assise,” meaning “a fixed sitting” or “session,” especially for setting taxes or standards. This developed into the idea of a fixed standard amount or measurement. English shortened it to “size” and focused on the idea of how big something is.
“Size” once had more to do with government meetings than with T‑shirt labels. Officials would “sit” to decide fixed standards—and those “assizes” slowly turned into “sizes.” Every time you check a shoe size, you’re using a word born from medieval bureaucracy.
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