INCH
BY INCH
INCH
BY INCH
A list of imperial measurements. Remember that the American equivalents of many of these, still in use today, are about 20% smaller.
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|
Length |
Derivation of name |
Imperial |
Metric |
Equivalent |
|
Barleycorn |
Length of an ear of barley |
----- |
8 mm |
fingernail width |
|
Inch |
Lat. uncia = inch |
3 barleycorns |
2½ cm |
c. width of normal watch |
|
Link |
O.E. hlence = link* |
1/100 chain |
20cm |
2/3 school ruler length |
|
Foot |
O.E. fot = foot (adult foot) |
12 inches |
30cm |
1 school ruler length |
|
Yard |
O.E. gerd = stick |
3 feet |
90cm |
Just under a metre-rule |
|
Pole** |
O.E. pal = pale (fence-stick) |
5½ yards |
5m |
Width of normal classroom |
|
Chain* |
Lat. catena = chain |
22 yards |
20m |
Length of a cricket wicket |
|
Furlong |
O.E. furlang = long furrow |
10 chains |
200m |
Two athletic track lengths |
|
Mile |
Lat. mille = 1,000 (steps) |
8 furlongs |
1600m |
A mile, duh! |
*
A surveyor's chain was, physically and measurement-wise, made up of
100 links.
** Also called a perch (Middle English perche = pole) or a rod (Old English rodd = rod)
|
Area |
Derivation of name |
Imperial |
Metric |
Equivalent |
|
Square inch |
----- |
----- |
6cm² |
six regular dice |
|
Square foot |
----- |
144 sq. in. |
850cm² |
square, sides one adult foot |
|
Square yard |
----- |
9 sq. ft. |
0.75m² |
bit smaller than a sq. metre |
|
Square pole |
----- |
30¼ sq. ya. |
22½m² |
small classroom |
|
Rood |
O.E.. rodd = rod) |
40 sq. pl. |
910m² |
small school |
|
Acre* |
Lat. ager = a field |
4 roods |
3650m² |
small field |
|
Virgate* |
Lat. virgatus = a rod |
30 acres |
0.1km² |
----- |
|
Hide* |
O.E.. hid = family** |
4 virgates |
0.4km² |
----- |
*
Varied according to which part of the country you were in.
** Enough land to support a family.
|
Capacity |
Derivation of name |
Imperial |
Metric |
Equivalent |
|
Mouthful |
O.E.. muth = mouth/chin |
----- |
18ml |
a mouthful, duh! |
|
Jigger |
unknown |
2 mouthfuls |
35ml |
big mouthful |
|
Jack* |
name |
2 jiggers |
71ml |
----- |
|
Jill/Gill* |
Lat. gella = low |
2 jacks |
142ml |
----- |
|
Half |
O.E.. healf = half |
2 gills |
284ml |
bit less than drinks can |
|
Pint** |
Lat. pincta = to paint** |
2 halves |
568ml |
of milk! |
|
Quart |
Lat. quartus = fourth |
2 pints |
1.1 litres |
double pint |
|
Gallon |
Fr. jalon = gallon |
4 quarts |
4.4 litres |
8 pints |
|
Peck |
unknown |
2 gallons |
9 litres |
16 pints |
|
Bushel |
Lat. buscellus = small box |
4 pecks |
36 litres |
64 pints |
|
Firkin |
Du. vierde kin = small four |
9 gallons |
40 litres |
72 pints |
|
Kilderkin |
Du. kintal kin = small five |
2 firkins |
80 litres |
144 pints |
|
Bag |
unknown |
3 bushels |
108 litres |
192 pints |
|
Coomb(e) |
O.E.. cumb = hollow vessel |
4 bushels |
144 litres |
256 pints |
|
Barrel |
Fr. baril = barrel |
2 kilderkin |
160 litres |
288 pints |
|
Hogshead |
Eng., lit to fill a hog's head |
1½ barrels |
240 litres |
432 pints |
|
Quarter |
Lat. quartus = fourth |
8 bushels |
288 litres |
512 pints |
|
Puncheon |
Lat. punctus = stamp, brand |
2 barrels |
320 litres |
576 pints |
|
Pipe |
O.E.. pipe = pipe |
1½ puncheons |
480 litres |
864 pints |
|
Tun |
O.E. tun = large barrel |
2 pipes |
960 litres |
1732 pints |
|
Chaldron |
O.E.. chaldron = cauldron |
36 bushels |
1296 litres |
2338 pints |
|
Load/Way |
O.E.. lad = way, course |
40 bushels |
1440 litres |
2560 pints |
|
Last |
O.E.. hladen = laden |
2 loads |
2880 litres |
5120 pints |
*An attempt by King Charles I of England (1625-40) to tamper with these measurements led to the English Civil War, him losing his head, and a certain nursery rhyme.
**From the mark made to indicate the level of one pint in a barrel or larger container.
There were lost of other measurements used regionally, and many of the above also had regional variations.
|
Weight |
Derivation of name |
Imperial |
Metric |
Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grain |
grain of corn, one seed |
----- |
----- |
small seed |
|
Scruple |
Lat. scrupulus = sharp stone |
20 grains |
1 gram |
small stone |
|
Dram |
Gk. drachm = to grasp |
3 scruples |
3½ grams |
one-penny piece |
|
Ounce (oz) |
Lat. uncia = ounce (!) |
8 drams |
28 grams |
two 50p pieces |
|
Quarter |
Lat. quartus = fourth |
4 ounces |
112 grams |
small bag of sweets |
|
Pound (lbs) |
O.E.. pond = to weigh* |
16 ounces |
454 grams |
full pencil-case |
|
Stone |
Gk. stein = stone |
14 pounds |
6.4 kg |
3-6 month old child |
|
Quarter (rare) |
Lat. quartus = fourth |
2 stones |
12.7 kg |
2-3 year old child |
|
Hundredweight (cwt) |
O.E.. about 100 lbs |
4 qtrs. |
50.8 kg |
11-14 year old child |
|
Ton |
O.E. tun = large barrel |
20 cwt |
820 kg |
small car |
*Literally flattened pound (weight) of silver. Measurements used in this table are the avoirdupois system; there was also the Troy system, in which a pound Troy was 12 ounces.
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