ell
/ˈɛl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.99 in modern English
3
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
2
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A measure of length. An English ell was 1¼ yards (45 inches or 114 cm), a Scottish ell was about 37 inches (94 cm), a Flemish ell was ¾ yard (27 inches or 69 cm), while certain European ells were less than 50 cm.
noun
The name of the Latin script letter L/l. (more commonly el)
noun
An extension usually at right angles to one end of a building.
noun
Abbreviation of RNA polymerase II elongation factor: an enzyme found in Cajal bodies.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "At certain times in the ice-mountains of Switzerland there happen cracks which have shewn the great thickness of the ice, as some of these cracks have measured three or four hundred ells deep."
- "A homely proverb recognises the existence of a troublesome class of persons who, having an inch conceded them, will take an ell."
- "Berkhyas is described as being a mountain in size, his face black, his body covered with hair, his neck like that of a dragon, two boar's tusks from his mouth, his eyes wells of blood, his hair bristling like needles, his height 140 ells, his breadth 17, pigeons nestling in his snaky locks."
- "If he had imputed to them conditions it was all his own doing: it came from his inveterate habit of abysmal imputation, the snatching of the ell wherever the inch peeped out, without which where would have been the tolerability of life?"
- "‘Taffety brocade at ten shillings an ell at Simon Snippets, the woman’s tailor, now quite ruined. I shall go distracted.’"
- "I have drunk en-ee-cee-tee-ay-ar from the ef-ell-oh-doubleyou-ee-ar-ess in his gee-ay-ar-dee-ee-en many a time."
Etymology
From Middle English elle, elne, from Old English eln (“the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger; a unit of measure”), from Proto-West Germanic *alinu, from Proto-Germanic *alinō, from Proto-Indo-European *Heh₃l-én-eh₂, from *Heh₃l- (“elbow, forearm”). Cognate with Dutch el (“ell”), German Low German Ell (“ell”), German Elle (“ell”), Swedish aln (“cubit; ell”), Icelandic alin (“cubit; ell”), Latin ulna (“forearm”).