-: B :-

Glossary: Home Tables A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T Th U V W X Y Z

bis *

bis for *dwis, cf bellicose for *dwellium [war of two sides]. by this ultimately related to two (zB duel).
      so binary, bit = binary digi, billion, bi = 2x
      bes = 2/3 roman pound
      Bin (= dustbin, etc), is from benne (two-wheeled card), is probably unrelated.

bismar *

A unit derived from a torque balance. The equality happens when the moments are equal, so one pound . foot = one bismar-mound . inch.
      It gets favour from the relative lightness of the balance to the load, but made illegal because of the relative easiness to diddle the scales.
      These units were used in the Norse lands.

block *

An american unit of land, being a furlong in length or area. This becomes 660 feet in Imperial measure.

body mass index *

A scale for determining relative overweightness in humans being, as
      weight in kilograms / square of the height in metres.
      Measures in this way is now depreciated in favour of linear measures (waist, hips) and ratios formed therefrom.

body units *

The body is often used as a portable ruler. The units in this table are direct measurements from a number of (small) willing victims.

digit	1	width of finger
deal	3	width of three middle fingers, as a unit
horn	10?	distance between outstretched index and little finger
lick	12	distance between outstretched index finger and thumb
span	15	distance between thumb and little finger length of the hand from the middle finger tip to second bracelet.
foot	18	length of the foot
cubit	36	length of the cubit, from elbow to fingertip.
knee	45	height the knee is above the ground (knee deep)
yard	72	length of half-fathom
groin	75	the height of the groin area
navel	90	height the navel is off the ground = 2 kneedepths
chin	120	depth, to the middle of the chin
height	135	the height = 3 knee-depths
fathom	144	width of outstretched arms

body weight *

For determining how many people are allowed in a lift, the weight of a person is taken to be 68 kgs., or 150 lbs.
      New born babies ought lie in the range of 3.5 to 3.8 kgs., or 124-134 oz.

brace *

brace, = two hands = fathom
      brace = pair of hands -> pair (eg of mules in harness)
      brace = fathom measure
      italian brazze, brent = yard-like measure (one outstretched arm).

"British" system

A system of lengths and weights which reflect many of the metrological equations taken at the turn of the 19th century.

length	Unchanged	mile \ 8 furlong \ 660 foot \ 12 inch
weight	Changed	ton \ 2250 lb \ 16 oz \ 16 dr \ 27 grain
water	Custom	ton = 36 cu ft, cu in = 250 gt. cu ft = 1000 oz

The relation, particularly cu ft = 1000 oz, features in the us decimal system.

Broadcast Units *

An association of area to volume, by way of the manner that seeds are broadcasted in the fields.
      Berriman says that Wheat is typically 2.5 bushels to the acre, while Barley is 2 to 3.5 bushels to the acre. The following table gives some actual units defined on broadcast relations, normalised for the system.

litre/are	Volume (L)	Area (a)	Unit	Country
0.89869	36.368722	40.468564	bu/ac	English Measure
1.00000	1.00000	1.00000	L/a	Metric Measure
1.85309	68.8608	27.16	pour	Latvia
2.03910	283.68	139.12	Tondele	Denmark
2.52183	137.76	54.627	Tonne	?
3.11016	39.514	12.7048	Scheffel	Lubeck
3.25198	93.592	28.78	Strych	Bohemia
3.75212	103.8286	27.6715	Scheffel	Saxony
3.9205	164.845	42.047	Scheffel	Hamburg

bushel

A basket of about 8 gallons. The unit is about the size of a typical clothes basket, for example. Filled with fruit, etc, represents a load that might be regularly handled in ones or twos.
      The unit is 8 gallons for dry measure: that is pourable solids, like grains, fruit, coal, etc.
      The division is bushel \ 4 pecks \ 2 gallon \ 4 quarts

Name	bushel	gallon	notes
Henry Prototype	2148.28	268.97	as measured 1931-32
Elizabeth P'type	2144.8	268.43	as measured 1931-32
Dry Gallon	2150.42	268.8025	Cyl, diam 18.5 in, height 8 in, still US
Irish Corn Gallon	2178	272.25	2178 = 66*33
Imperial	2219.36	277.42	Since 1824.

A coal gallon of 33 quarts is also known.
      As with all dry capacity, it becomes a variable weight representing a standard bushel of something, eg 60 lb wheat.

butt *

butt means a large cask.
      bottle = casklet, -> to bottle = to put in bottles
      boot = leather bag, -> boot = foot covering -> to boot (to use a boot), -> boot(strap) = strap to pull boot on, whence to lift by one's bootstraps, and hence to bring a computer on line
      butt, boot etc are germanic
      booth is from be, build, bower