vara

[ vahr-uh; Spanish vah-rah; Portuguese vah-ruh ]

/ ˈvɑr ə; Spanish ˈvɑ rɑ; Portuguese ˈvɑ rə /

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noun, plural va·ras

[vahr-uhz; Spanish vah-rahs; Portuguese vah-ruhsh]. /ˈvɑr əz; Spanish ˈvɑ rɑs; Portuguese ˈvɑ rəʃ/.

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

the square vara, used as a unit of area.

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Origin of vara

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

Words nearby vara

vapour lock, vapour pressure, vapour trail, vaquero, Var, vara, varactor, Varah, Varanasi, Varangian, Vardar

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

How to use vara in a sentence

Through it runs a vein about one vara wide, extending east and west for some distance.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
He was a vara fine gentleman, that never loaded his ain gun, and a'most thought it too much trouble to pull the trigger.
Charles O'Malley, The Irish Dragoon, Volume 2 (of 2)|Charles Lever
It is the vara the Indians respect, not the man who carries it.
Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2)|Carl Lumholtz
It was a vara imperfect discourse, in ma opinion; ye did well eneucht till ye took them through, but where did ye leave them?
Scotch Wit and Humor|W. H. (Walter Henry) Howe

He represented himself as an alguazil, carrying a vara de justicia and using the name of the inquisitor-general.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 4|Henry Charles Lea

British Dictionary definitions for vara

vara

/ (ˈvɑːrə) /

noun

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)

Word Origin for vara

C17: via Spanish from Latin: wooden trestle, from vārus crooked

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