noun
- Plural of handbreadth; units of length equal to the width of a hand, historically used as a rough measurement.
Usage: archaic or informal; often used in historical or biblical contexts; approximate measurement, not standardized
Examples
- The ancient text described the wall as several handbreadths thick.
- He measured the gap with handbreadths, a common practice before modern rulers.
- The fabric was only a few handbreadths wide.
- In biblical times, handbreadths were used to estimate the height of objects.
- The carpenter approximated the distance in handbreadths rather than precise measurements.