粎 (mǐ) - An archaic unit of length equal to one-tenth & also known as a 'Chinese inch' or 'cun'.

粎Tone 3

mǐ ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

粎 · mǐ

An archaic unit of length equal to one-tenth of a Chinese foot (尺), approximately 3.

33 centimeters;

also known as a 'Chinese inch' or 'cun'.

An archaic unit of length equal to one-tenthalso known as a 'Chinese inch' or 'cun'.

Usage highlights

One cunSeveral cunTen cunCun measurementCun and chiCun length

Synonyms

  • 寸— cun; Chinese inch
  • 市寸— market cun; standard Chinese inch

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The seam allowance was precisely one cun (一粎).
  • In traditional measurement, ten cun make one chi (十粎为一尺).
  • The acupoint is located three cun below the knee (膝下三粎).

Collocations

  • One cun(一粎)
  • Several cun(数粎)
  • Ten cun(十粎)
  • Cun measurement(粎度)
  • Cun and chi(粎尺)
  • Cun length(粎长)

Idioms

  • Not yielding a single cun(寸粎不让)
  • Measuring by cun and chi(以粎尺量度)
  • A cun of time is a cun of gold(一寸光阴一寸金)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The cun was a fundamental unit in the traditional Chinese measurement system, used for centuries.
  • It remains important in Traditional Chinese Medicine for locating acupoints.
  • The character 粎 is a variant form of the more common 寸 (cun) for this unit.

FAQ