ligne
9.9
A small unit for measuring round things like buttons or watch cases, equal to one fortieth of an inch
- noun
- /liɡn/
- Archaic
:
línea
- The tailor used a ruler that marked the lignes to ensure the buttons fit perfectly on the jacket.
Examples
-
When measuring fabric for sewing, it's important to know that one ligne is equal to 1/40 of an inch.
-
Depuis la gare de Moscou, tout le long de la ligne jusqu'à Rostov.
-
The designer specified that each button should have a diameter of five lignes.
Synonyms
linear unit
vsligne
3.5
A way to measure length, like a meter or inch
is a very small specific fraction of an inch used for tiny diameters
linear measure
vsligne
3.3
A unit for length like a meter or inch
is the specific small fraction used to measure tiny object diameters
Surface Forms
Etymology
Ligne comes from the French word for 'line' and the old Latin root linea meaning 'line', and it is the same root as the English word line. So a ligne became a tiny unit (1/40 inch) used to measure small round things like buttons and watch cases.
