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Definition of "cubit" [cu•bit]

  • An ancient unit of linear measure, originally equal to the length of the forearm from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow, or about 17 to 22 inches (43 to 56 centimeters). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "cubit" in a sentence
  • "Bottom line: A cubit is the distance between some two points, wherever they are in what ever country in whatever period of history -- maybe."
  • "The word cubit means the length of the forearm from the elbow to the wrist, and in this statue of which we speak this part of the arm is made very prominent, and the measure itself is omitted."
  • "The Egyptian cubit is about twenty — two inches of the English measure."