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).

Words nearby cubit

cubical, cubicle, cubiculum, cubiform, cubism, cubit, 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. 2020

Examples from the Web for cubit

To start out to do good is much like saying you'll add a cubit to your stature.
The Street Called Straight|Basil King
And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit?
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
I saw likewise other fish, about a cubit in length, that had heads like owls.
The Arabian Nights Entertainments|Anonymous
Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.
The World English Bible (WEB), The Old Testament, Complete|Various

He made also the table of setim wood, in length two cubits, and in breadth one cubit, and in height it was a cubit and a half.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions 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