English

Noun

mensuration ‎(countable and uncountable, plural mensurations)

1. The act or process of measuring; measurement.
   • 1805, Robert Forsyth, The beauties of Scotland - Volume 1, page 512:

     Of this ridge Soutra hill is supposed to be the highest; but hitherto no actual mensuration is known to have been taken of it : but, in judging by the view, from its elevated top, of the neighbouring hills and country, it must be upwards of 1500 feet high.

   • 2013, P. D. Lark, ‎B. R. Craven, ‎& R. C. L. Bosworth, The Handling of Chemical Data, ISBN 1483146154, page 1:

     The pointer readings will contain all the real information on the subject, and the extension of scientific principles will involve an extension of mensuration to include the new subject.

2. (mathematics) The study of measurement, especially the derivation and use of algebraic formulae to measure the areas, volumes and different parameters of geometric figures.
   • 1992, Rudolf M. Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, page ix

     With the passage of time I have realized that the illustrations can also serve, to some extent, to make mensuration more readily possible.

3. (music) A 13th century system for governing rhythmic relationships in music that was a precursor to the modern use of time signatures; The use of mensural notation.
   • 2015, Ruth I. DeFord, Tactus , Mensuration and Rhythm in Renaissance Music, ISBN 1107064724, page 470:

     Different levels of mensuration have different roles in the musical structure. The most prominent one is the one corresponding to the compositional tactus. Rhythmic groups may contradict the mensuration temporarily, but in the examples in this book, they never do so throughout an entire piece.

4. (forestry) The use of quantitative measurements of forest stand to determine stand timber volume, productivity, and health.
   • 1973, Thomas W. Beers & ‎Charles I. Miller, Manual of Forest Mensuration:

     Forest mensuration, in many respects the most important branch of forestry, was nicely defined by Professor Henry S. Graves (1906) in the first complete volume on forest mensuration to appear in the Americas.

Related terms

• mensural

References

Mensuration Formulas

Anagrams

• numerations

French

Noun

mensuration f ‎(plural mensurations)

1. measurement
2. (in the plural) the size of a person or animal etc