Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ell-wand

ell-wand

9.9
A rod one ell long used to measure cloth
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : vara de codo
  • The town's officials displayed the ell-wand in the marketplace to measure cloth accurately.

Examples

  • The guild insisted that all measurements be taken with a certified ell-wand.

  • The ell-wand was used to measure fabric lengths.

  • During medieval times, the ell-wand served as an official reference for traders and merchants.

  • An ell-wand can be made of wood or metal.

  • During medieval times, the ell-wand served as an official reference for traders and merchants.

  • The guild insisted that all measurements be taken with a certified ell-wand.

  • The town's officials displayed the ell-wand in the marketplace to measure cloth accurately.

Synonyms

wand
vsell-wand
7 4.3

A thin rod used in ceremonies to show authority

is a fixed measurement tool of defined length rather than a symbolic object
ellwand
vsell-wand
  • Archaic
9.9

A wooden rod about 45 inches long used long ago to measure cloth in markets

is the general definition without regional specification
measuring rod
vsell-wand
3.4

A long rod with marks at regular spaces to show how long something is

is a specific historical official standard rather than any measuring tool

How Long

ell-wand
  • Archaic
9.9
yardstick
3 3.2
ruler
29 1.0

Surface Forms

ell-wand singular
ell-wands plural

Morphology

ell-wand = ell + wand (opaque) = ell + wand

Although historically compositional ('ell' + 'wand'), the unit 'ell' is archaic and unfamiliar to most learners, so the compound's meaning is not derivable for typical B1 learners.

Etymology

Ell-wand comes from two old words: ell, meaning 'arm' or 'arm's length', and wand, meaning 'rod' or 'stick', so an ell-wand was a rod one ell long used as the official measuring stick for cloth in markets.