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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

Statute League

A statute league is a traditional unit of distance used primarily on land and defined as 3 statute miles, which equals about 4.83 kilometers or 15,840 feet. It was commonly used in English-speaking countries for measuring distances before the metric system became widespread. The statute league is different from the nautical league, which is based on nautical miles and used at sea. Although largely obsolete today, the statute league is still found in historical texts and older maps.