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hand's-breadth or hand's breadth (hăndzbrĕdth′)

Variants of handbreadth.

hand·breadth

(hăndbrĕdth′) also hand's-breadth or hand's breadth (hăndz-)

A linear measurement approximating the width of the palm of the hand, from 2.5 to 4 inches (6.35 to 10.16 centimeters).

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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