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vara

vara

1 9.9
An old Spanish unit of length about as long as a yard
  • noun
  • /ˈvɑːrə/
  • Archaic
: vara
  • The field measured over fifty varas in length, making it suitable for grazing.

Examples

  • Additional complications that are associated with this fracture include nonunion, coxa vara, premature physeal closure, and infection.

    Academic text (2006)
  • According to Cal's map, the treasure cave will be a hundred varas due west.

  • In some regions, a vara is defined as approximately 33 inches.

Compounds

tibia vara
  • Specialized
9.9

The lower leg bows outward below the knee

Surface Forms

vara singular
varas plural

Etymology

Vara comes from the Spanish word for a long 'rod' or 'stick' that people used to measure distance, so the name became a unit of length. That's why a vara is like a yard, but its exact size often changed from place to place.