Digit (unit)

For other uses, see Digit.
Detail of the Ancient Egyptian cubit rod in the Museo Egizio of Turin, showing digit, palm, hand and fist lengths
Some hand-based measurements, including the digit (6)

The digit or finger is an ancient and obsolete non-SI unit of measurement of length. It was originally based on the breadth of a human finger.[1] It was a fundamental unit of length in the Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Ancient Greek and Roman systems of measurement.

In astronomy a digit is one twelfth of the diameter of the sun or the moon.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference brit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 11th was invoked but never defined (see the help page).