ell

noun

1. (historical)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.

   “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.”

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

   “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.”

   “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?”

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. 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.”

4. Something that is L-shaped.
5. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable)Abbreviation of RNA polymerase II elongation factor: an enzyme found in Cajal bodies.
6. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of English-language learner.
7. (alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of ell.

name

1. (countable, uncountable)A surname.
2. (countable, uncountable)A town and commune in Redange canton, Luxembourg.
3. (countable, uncountable)A village in Leudal municipality, Limburg province, Netherlands.