barleycorn Definition
a grain of barley used as a unit of length equal to one third of an inch (8.5 mm).
Using barleycorn: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "barleycorn" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The length of the king's foot was said to be exactly 12 barleycorns.
Example
The shoe size is measured in barleycorns.
Origins of barleycorn
from Old English 'bærlic', meaning 'of barley' and 'corn', meaning 'grain'
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Summary: barleycorn in Brief
'Barleycorn' [ˈbɑːliˌkɔːn] is a noun that refers to a grain of barley used as a unit of length, equivalent to one third of an inch or 8.5 millimeters. It is commonly used in measuring shoe sizes and other small lengths. For example, 'The length of the king's foot was said to be exactly 12 barleycorns.'
