Palm (unit) facts for kids
A palm, when used as a unit of length, is usually four digits (fingers) or three inches, i.e. 7.62 cm (for the international inch).
In English this unit is no longer in use as other units that are based on the human arm: digit (¼ palm), finger (7/24 palm), hand (4/3 palms), shaftment (2 palms), span (3 palms), cubit (6 palms) and ell (15 palms).
Images for kids
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A diagram of various units derived from the human hand. The palm (3) was originally the width of the palm but was standardized as the somewhat smaller width of four digits (6). The related shaftment (1) and hand (2) were the width of the palm plus an open or closed thumb. The other units are the span (4) and finger (5).
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Detail of the cubit rod in the Museo Egizio of Turin, showing digit, palm, hand and fist lengths
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Sign giving the metric equivalents of the units in use in the 17th century in the covered market of Pernes-les-Fontaines in the Vaucluse
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The English palm as the width of four fingers.
See also
In Spanish: Palma (unidad) para niños
