ell

or el

[ el ]

/ ɛl /

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noun

an extension usually at right angles to one end of a building.

elbow (def. 5).

something that is L-shaped.

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Origin of ell

First recorded in 1765–75; a spelling of the letter name, or by shortening of elbow

Words nearby ell

El Khalil, Elkhart, elkhound, Elkin, Elk Mountains, ell, Ella, ellagic acid, Ellas, -elle, Ellen

Other definitions for ell (2 of 2)

ell²

[ el ]

/ ɛl /

noun

a former measure of length, varying in different countries: in England equal to 45 inches (114 centimeters).

Origin of ell

First recorded before 950; Middle English, Old English eln; cognate with Old Norse eln, Old High German elina, Gothic aleina, Latin ulna, Greek ōlénē. See elbow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ell in a sentence

I got halfway across the street and realized: "Effin'ell, I didn't pay!"
An Ethical Puzzle|Michael Tomasky|February 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
An end of the old house had been burned several years before, but the kitchen ell was still standing, with chimney complete.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose
Lamb saw an ashen-face bespectacled man peering around the corner of an ell.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
A long ell ran out behind, evidently containing the kitchen and then the sheds and outhouses.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton

The side door, on a grape-shadowed porch, was in this ell, facing the barn across the way.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
C(urrer) B(ell) was a thin disguise for C(harlotte) B(ront), but it did not deceive the relatives.
McClure's Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 2, July, 1893|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ell (1 of 2)

ell¹

/ (ɛl) /

noun

an obsolete unit of length equal to approximately 45 inches

Word Origin for ell

Old English eln the forearm (the measure originally being from the elbow to the fingertips); related to Old High German elina, Latin ulna, Greek ōlenē

British Dictionary definitions for ell (2 of 2)

ell²

/ (ɛl) /

noun

an extension to a building, usually at right angles and located at one end

a pipe fitting, pipe, or tube with a sharp right-angle bend

Word Origin for ell

C20: a spelling of L, indicating a right angle

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

ell

or el

Origin of ell

Words nearby ell

Other definitions for ell (2 of 2)

Origin of ell

Words related to ell

How to use ell in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ell (1 of 2)

Word Origin for ell

British Dictionary definitions for ell (2 of 2)

Word Origin for ell