Span (unit)

Some hand-based measurements, including the great span (4)

A span is the distance measured by a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. In ancient times, a span was considered to be half a cubit. Sometimes the distinction is made between the great span or full span (thumb to little finger) and little span or short span (thumb to index finger, or index finger to little finger).[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Madan1903 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Edwin Pliny Seaver (1895). New Franklin arithmetic: Second book. Butler, Sheldon & co. p. 384. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  3. ^ Daniel O'Sullivan (1872). The principles of arithmetic. Thom. p. 69. Retrieved 27 January 2012.