vara

American  

[vahr-uh, vah-rah, vah-ruh] / ˈvɑr ə, ˈvɑ rɑ, ˈvɑ rə /

noun

• varas
  plural

1. a unit of length in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, varying from about 32 inches (81 centimeters) to about 43 inches (109 centimeters).

2. the square vara, used as a unit of area.

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vara British  

/ ˈvɑːrə /

noun

1. a unit of length used in Spain, Portugal, and South America and having different values in different localities, usually between 32 and 43 inches (about 80 to 108 centimetres)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• varas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of vara

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Spanish, from Latin vāra “forked pole,” noun use of feminine of vārus “crooked, bent”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vara varas

When you put it all together, “en vara asado” sounds a lot like “embarazado.”

From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2021

Farm produce is generally sold by the arroba or fanega; the vara is used in lineal measurement, and the cuadra is used by country people in land measurement.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 2 "Chicago, University of" to "Chiton" by Various

"I 'm vara sorry for it, my Leddy; I don't deserve them," was the calm reply.

From The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. I (of II) by Charles James Lever

"The young leddy says na mair than the fact; they're vara poor, and they 're vara dangerous!"

From The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. I (of II) by Charles James Lever

"That 's vara true, miss," was the dry response.

From The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. I (of II) by Charles James Lever

You give two and a half varas of lienzo to each Indian, and the same for the canoe.

From The Andes and the Amazon Across the Continent of South America by James Orton

Then Driscoll invested in a number of varas of calico print.

From The Missourian by Eugene P. (Eugene Percy) Lyle

It is however, drawn close about the breasts, and the sleeves are very long, at times each sleeve taking three or four varas of cloth.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 40 of 55 1690-1691 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century by Emma Helen Blair

Other pieces of common silk, ten varas for one tae three maçes.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55 1620-1621 Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century. by James Alexander Robertson

Two streets, each 10 varas wide, opened out on the longer sides, and three on each of the shorter sides.

From The Old Franciscan Missions Of California by George Wharton James

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