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Span (Cloth)

A span is an old unit of length based on the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger of a fully extended hand. Traditionally, it measures about 9 inches or 22.86 centimeters.

In the context of cloth and textiles, the span was used as a convenient, informal measure to estimate small lengths of fabric before standardized rulers became widespread. It was helpful for tailors and traders to quickly gauge lengths during measuring and cutting.

While the span is largely obsolete as a formal unit today, it reflects historical measurement practices tied closely to the human body, similar to the cubit or hand.

Summary:

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  1 span ≈ 9 inches (22.86 cm)

  
  
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  Based on the hand’s spread

  
  
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  Used historically in cloth measurement and tailoring

  
  
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  Now mostly of historical and cultural interest

Foot

A foot (plural: feet) is a unit of length commonly used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and some other countries. One foot equals 12 inches or about 0.3048 meters. Feet are often used to measure height, room dimensions, and short distances. For example, a person might be 5 feet 8 inches tall. The abbreviation for foot is "ft". Although many countries use the metric system, feet remain popular in daily life and construction in countries using the imperial system.