What does "ell" mean?
A measure of length. An English ell was 1¼ yards (45 inches or 114 cm), a Scottish ell was about 37 inches (94 cm), a Flemish ell was ¾ yard (27 inches or 69 cm), while certain European ells were less than 50 cm.
Ell
/ˈɛl/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A measure of length. An English ell was 1¼ yards (45 inches or 114 cm), a Scottish ell was about 37 inches (94 cm), a Flemish ell was ¾ yard (27 inches or 69 cm), while certain European ells were less than 50 cm.
- Grammar: ell is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: addition, alphabet letter, angle, annex.
- Usage evidence: Have you seen the ell on that house?
How to use "ell"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ell" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ell" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ell" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ell" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ell" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "addition" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ell", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A measure of length. An English ell was 1¼ yards (45 inches or 114 cm), a Scottish ell was about 37 inches (94 cm), a Flemish ell was ¾ yard (27 inches or 69 cm), while certain European ells were less than 50 cm. historical
"At certain times in the ice-mountains of Switzerland there happen cracks which have shewn the great thickness of the ice, as some of these cracks have measured three or four hundred ells deep."
- 2 The name of the Latin script letter L/l. (more commonly el)
"I have drunk en-ee-cee-tee-ay-ar from the ef-ell-oh-doubleyou-ee-ar-ess in his gee-ay-ar-dee-ee-en many a time."
- 3 Abbreviation of RNA polymerase II elongation factor: an enzyme found in Cajal bodies. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of ell. alt-of
- 5 an extension at the end and at right angles to the main building wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 An extension usually at right angles to one end of a building.
"I could hear them snapping and tearing around, and then one managed to get on the roof by jumping from the low ell."
- 7 Initialism of English-language learner. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 8 Something that is L-shaped.
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A town and commune in Redange canton, Luxembourg. countable, uncountable
- 3 A village in Leudal municipality, Limburg province, Netherlands. countable, uncountable
Example
"Have you seen the ell on that house?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ell"?
Common synonyms include: addition, alphabet letter, angle, annex, annex, apex.
How do you use "ell" in a sentence?
Have you seen the ell on that house?
How do you pronounce "ell"?
Pronounced /ˈɛl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English elle, elne, from Old English eln (“the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger; a unit of measure”), from Proto-West Germanic *alinu, from Proto-Germanic *alinō, from Proto-Indo-European *Heh₃l-én-eh₂, from *Heh₃l- (“elbow, forearm”). Cognate with Dutch el (“ell”), German Low German Ell (“ell”), German Elle (“ell”), Swedish aln (“cubit; ell”), Icelandic alin (“cubit; ell”), Latin ulna (“forearm”).
Etymology 2
From the name of the letter L.
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