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# ell

noun (an ell, ells)

«ell» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The name of the letter L. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#m1)
2. An old measure of length, about the length of an arm, used for cloth (in England about 45 inches, a little over a metre). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#m2)
3. (USA) An extension of a building at a right angle, making an L shape. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history and old stories the ell was a measure for cloth. The proverb «Give him an inch and he'll take an ell» means if you give someone a little, they will take a lot (today usually «a mile»). In lessons about letters, «ell» is how L is named. Phrases: «an ell of cloth».

### Examples

- The merchant sold three ells of cloth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#x1)
- An ell was about the length of a man's arm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#x2)
- «Give them an inch and they'll take an ell,» said Granny. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#x3)
- The farmhouse has an ell at the back. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#x4)
- Write a small ell and a capital ell. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#x5)
- As they came nearer they could see it was a dwarf, with a shrivelled-up face and a snow-white beard an ell long. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/#x6)

### Note

Use «an»: an ell. Rare today. Do not confuse with «ill», «eel» or «hell».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ell» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ell/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ell» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ell.html) on Mova free.