ell
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ELL
abbr.
English language learner
ell 1
(ĕl)n.
1. A subsidiary wing of a building, usually oriented at right angles to the main structure.
2. A right-angled bend in a pipe or conduit; an elbow.
[From its resemblance to the shape of the capital letter L, or short for elbow.]
ell 2
(ĕl)n.
Any of several historical units of measure, originally based on the length of the arm or forearm but later standardized at other lengths, such as the English ell of 45 inches (114 centimeters).
[Middle English, from Old English eln, the length from the elbow to the middle finger's tip, ell; see el- in Indo-European roots.]
ell 3
(ĕl)n.
Variant of el1.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ell
(ɛl)n
(Units) an obsolete unit of length equal to approximately 45 inches
[Old English eln the forearm (the measure originally being from the elbow to the fingertips); related to Old High German elina, Latin ulna, Greek ōlenē]
ell
(ɛl)n
1. (Architecture) an extension to a building, usually at right angles and located at one end
2. (Building) a pipe fitting, pipe, or tube with a sharp right-angle bend
[C20: a spelling of L, indicating a right angle]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ell1
or el
(ɛl)n.
1. an extension usu. at right angles to one end of a building or room.
[1765–75; a sp. of the letter name, or by shortening of elbow]
ell2
(ɛl)n.
a former measure of length, varying in different countries: in England equal to 45 inches (114 cm).
[before 950; Middle English, Old English eln; c. Old Norse eln, Old High German elina, Gothic aleina, Latin ulna forearm, Greek ōlénē. compare elbow]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | ell - an extension at the end and at right angles to the main building |
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