cubit

noun

cu·​bit ˈkyü-bət 

: any of various ancient units of length based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and usually equal to about 18 inches (46 centimeters)

Did you know?

The cubit is an ancient unit of length that may have originated in Egypt close to 5,000 years ago. Cubit can refer to various units used in the ancient world, the actual length of which varied from time to time and place to place, but which was generally equivalent to the length of the human arm from elbow to fingertip—roughly about a foot and a half. (Appropriately, the word's source is a Latin word meaning "elbow.") Starting with the Wycliffe Bible in 1382, cubit has been used as the English translation for the measurement known in Biblical Hebrew as the "ammah" and in Koine as the "péchus."

Examples of cubit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The cubit mentioned in the Torah with respect to building the ark was longer than what the Torah would later consider to be the length of a cubit. —Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 4 Oct. 2021

Kaaronen is a kayaker and woodworker who makes his own paddles—basing their length on a traditional measurement of his fathom plus his cubit. —Bymichael Price, science.org, 1 June 2023

As early as 2700 B.C.E., the ancient Egyptians employed the royal cubit, a unit of length of about 53 centimeters that was likely derived from the distance from one’s elbow to the tip of the middle finger. —Bymichael Price, science.org, 1 June 2023

Kotler explains that quantum computing could rely on devices that link electrical components for processing and mechanical objects for memory—much as the authors of this paper coupled a superconducting cubit to the sapphire crystal. —Lars Fischer, Scientific American, 12 May 2023

There was the fingertip-to-elbow cubit and the thumb-width inch. —Katie Hafner, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2022

From the forearm-length cubit to the lump of metal that defined the kilogram, measurement is a powerful tool that Vincent investigates with unalloyed delight. —Katie Hafner, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2022

Newton was interested in the cubit, a unit of measurement used by the Great Pyramid’s builders. —Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Dec. 2020

The long house, with its cubit coils and crystal shields, was not what protected us from the pandemic. —Ruth Ozeki, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2020

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin cubitum elbow, cubit

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

cubit

noun

cu·​bit ˈkyü-bət 

: an ancient unit of length based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and usually equal to about 18 inches (46 centimeters)