cubit
[ kyoo-bit ]
/ ˈkyu bɪt /
|
noun
an ancient linear unit based on the length of the forearm, from elbow to the tip of the middle finger, usually from 17 to 21 inches (43 to 53 cm).
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Nearby words
- cubicle,
- cubiculum,
- cubiform,
- cubism,
- cubist,
- cubital,
- cubital furrow,
- cubital joint,
- cubital nerve,
- cubitus
Origin of cubit
1325–75; Middle English, Old English < Latin cubitum elbow, cubit; perhaps akin to cubāre to lie down
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for cubit
cubit
/ (ˈkjuːbɪt) /
noun
an ancient measure of length based on the length of the forearm
Word Origin for cubit
C14: from Latin cubitum elbow, cubit
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cubit
ancient unit of measure based on the forearm from elbow to fingertip, usually from 18 to 22 inches, early 14c., from Latin cubitum "the elbow," from PIE *keu(b)- "to bend." Such a measure, known by a word meaning "forearm" or the like, was known to many peoples (e.g. Greek pekhys, Hebrew ammah, English ell).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper