- size (n.)
- c.1300, "an ordinance to fix the amount of a payment or tax," from O.Fr. sise, shortened form of assise "session, assessment, regulation, manner" (see assize), probably a misdivision of l'assise as la sise. The sense of "extent, amount, magnitude" (c.1400) is from the notion of regulating something by fixing the amount of it (weights, food portions, etc.). Specific sense of "set of dimensions of an article of clothing or shoe" is attested from 1591. Sizeable "fairly large" is recorded from 1613.
- size (v.)
- c.1400, "to regulate," from size (n.). Meaning "to make of a certain size" is from 1609; that of "to classify according to size" is first attested 1635. Verbal phrase size up "estimate, assess" is from 1847 and retains the root sense of size (n.).