shaftment
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An obsolete unit of length defined as 6 inches, which equals 2 palms or ²⁄₃ span; today 6 inches equals exactly 15.24 cm. (Before the 12th century, a shaftment was defined as 6+¹⁄₂ inches.)
noun
Traditionally the width of the fist and outstretched thumb.
Example Sentences
- "A shaftment is the width of the palm and the outstretched thumb."
Etymology
From Middle English schaftmonde, from Old English sċeaftmund (“a palm, a palm's length”), equivalent to shaft + mound (“hand”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: schaftmonde, sċeaftmund
Inflected Forms
shaftments (plural)
shaftmond (alternative)
shaftman (alternative)
shaftmound (alternative)
shaftmont (alternative)
shaftmon (alternative)
shafman (alternative)
shafmet (alternative)
shafnet (alternative)