ell

plural ells

1. historicalA 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.

   ‘Taffety brocade at ten shillings an ell at Simon Snippets, the woman’s tailor, now quite ruined. I shall go distracted.’

   1936, Norman Lindsay, The Flyaway Highway, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 56

   4 more examples

   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.

   1791, Erasmus Darwin, The Economy of Vegetation, J. Johnson, page 51

   A homely proverb recognises the existence of a troublesome class of persons who, having an inch conceded them, will take an ell.

   1841, Charles Dickens, chapter XXX, in Barnaby Rudge

   Berkhyas is described as being a mountain in size, his face black, his body covered with hair, his neck like that of a dragon, two boar's tusks from his mouth, his eyes wells of blood, his hair bristling like needles, his height 140 ells, his breadth 17, pigeons nestling in his snaky locks.

   1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 19

   If he had imputed to them conditions it was all his own doing: it came from his inveterate habit of abysmal imputation, the snatching of the ell wherever the inch peeped out, without which where would have been the tolerability of life?

   1910, Henry James, The Finer Grain

plural ells · alternative el

1. 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.

   2004, Will Rogers, The Stonking Steps, page 170

2. 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.

   1931, H. P. Lovecraft, chapter 4, in The Whisperer in Darkness

3. Something that is L-shaped.

plural ELLs

1. abbreviationcountableuncountablebiochemistryAbbreviation of RNA polymerase II elongation factor: an enzyme found in Cajal bodies.
2. abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableeducationInitialism of English-language learner.

plural Ells

1. countableuncountableA surname.
2. countableuncountableA town and commune in Redange canton, Luxembourg.
3. countableuncountableA village in Leudal municipality, Limburg province, Netherlands.

plural Ells

1. Alternative letter-case form of ell.