A square is a flat shape with four equal sides and four right angles. It can also mean an open, usually four-sided public space in a town, or describe something fair, honest, or old-fashioned.
From Old French “esquarre” meaning “square, rule, measure,” from Vulgar Latin *“exquadra,” related to Latin “quadrum” meaning “a square.” The idea is based on the number four and right angles.
Squares show how shapes become metaphors: a ‘square deal’ is fair and even on all sides, and a ‘square’ person is seen as too straight, rule-following, or uncool. Even in music and dance, being ‘square’ once meant staying perfectly on the beat.
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