Forms: 4– cubit; also 4–7 cubite, (4 cupyde, cupet), 5 cubete, (cobyte), 5–6 cubyt(e, cubet(te, (1 cubide). [ad. L. cubitum the elbow, the distance from the elbow to the finger-tips, belonging to cubit- ppl. stem of cubāre, -cumbĕre, to lie down, recline.
The form cubite occurs in OF. for the measure, but the living repr. of the L. cubitus is F. coude, OF. coute elbow = Pr. code, coide, Sp. codo, It. cubito.]
† 1. The part of the arm from the elbow downward; the forearm. b. The ulna, one of the two bones of the forearm. (In quot. 1398 applied to both the ulna and the radius.) Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxvii. (1495), 136. The arme is made of two bones, one aboue that hyghte the ouer cubyte, and the other beneth that hyghte the nether cubyte.
1483. Cath. Angl., 85. A Cubit, lacertus.
1634. T. Johnson, trans. Parey’s Chirurg., VI. xxvi. (1678), 147. The cubit is composed of two bones, the one of which we call the Radius or Wand, the other we properly call the Cubit, or Ell.
1713. Cheselden, Anat., III. viii. (1726), 202. The muscles that bend and extend the cubit.
1847. J. F. South, trans. Chelius’ Surg., I. 559. Fracture of the Cubit … is always consequent to direct violence acting on it.
¶ By literalism of translation: see quots.
1388. Wyclif, Jer. xxxviii. 12. Putte thou elde clothis … vndur the cubit of thin hondis [Vulg. sub cubito manuum tuarum; Heb. under the joints of thy hands] and on the cordis.
1609. Bible (Douay), Ibid. Under the cubite of thine armes.
† b. Sometimes app. = the elbow. Obs.
1544. Phaër, Pestilence (1553), P iij b. On the muscule of the right arme, vnder the cubite, on the parte where as the pulse lieth.
1624. Gee, Foot out of Snare, 43. A fire from heauen consumed the hands and armes to his cubits.
1882. Syd. Soc. Lex., Cubit, the ulna. Also, the elbow.
† c. Zool. The corresponding part of the fore leg of quadrupeds; d. Entom. Applied to one of the veins or ribs of an insect’s wing.
c. 1720. W. Gibson, Farrier’s Guide, I. vi. (1738), 91. The next bone, call’d the Cubit, or Leg-bone.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist., II. 337. In the fore feet, or rather hands, all the arm and the cubit are hid under the skin.
2. An ancient measure of length derived from the forearm; varying at different times and places, but usually about 18–22 inches. Obs. exc. Hist.
It is the cubitus of the Romans = Gr. πῆχυς, Heb. ammah, all which words meant primarily the forearm. The Roman cubit was 17·4 inches; the Egyptian 20·64 inches.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., P. 315. Þre hundred of cupydez þou holde to þe lenþe.
1382. Wyclif, Matt. vi. 27. Who of ȝou thenkinge may putte to [v.r. adde] to his stature oo cubite?
1481. Caxton, Myrr., II. v. 69. There dwelleth peple that … ar but ii cubites hye … This peple is callyd pygmans.
1555. Eden, Decades, 92. Hit scarsely riseth at any tyme a cubet aboue the bankes.
1640. Wilkins, New Planet, viii. (1707), 239. In one Minute it should scarce descend the Space of a Cubit.
1837. Thirlwall, Greece, IV. xxxiii. 287. A model of a galley three cubits long in ivory and gold.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 304. He is four cubits high.
3. attrib. and Comb., as cubit-bone, -length, -rule (cf. foot-rule); cubic-long a.; cubit arm (Her.), ‘on arm couped at the elbow’ (Cussans, Handbk. Her., 115).
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3908. Wild berys … With ilka tenefull tothe … A cubete lenth.
a. 1700. Dryden, Ovid’s Met., xii. (R.). But Theseus, with a club of harden’d oak, The cubit-bone of the bold centaur broke.
1847. Landor, Hellenics, II. In ancient letters, cubit-long.
1848. C. C. Clifford, Aristophanes’ Frogs, 26. Yard-measures too they’ll bring and cubit-rules.
