ardeb

American  

[ahr-deb] / ˈɑr dɛb /

noun

1. a unit of capacity used for dry measure in Egypt and neighboring countries, officially equivalent in Egypt to 5.62 U.S. bushels, but varying greatly in different localities.

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ardeb British  

/ ˈɑːdɛb /

noun

1. a unit of dry measure used in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. In Egypt it is approximately equal to 0.195 cubic metres

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Etymology

Origin of ardeb

1860–65; < dialectal Arabic ardabb ≪ Aramaic 'rdb, perhaps < Old Persian; compare Egyptian Demotic 'rtb, late Akkadian ardabu, Elamite irtiba, Syriac 'arṭba, Greek artábē, Arabic 'irdabb ≪ Aramaic

Example Sentences

The ardeb is equal to about 5 bushels, and is divided into 6 waybas, and each wayba into 24 rubas.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 1 "Edwardes" to "Ehrenbreitstein" by Various

Every horse-owner is entitled to half an ardeb of dhurra from the beit el mal.

From Ten Years' Captivity in the Mahdi's Camp 1882-1892 by Wingate, F. R.

In 1878, when there was a scarcity of rain, the price of dhurra never exceeded sixteen dollars the ardeb, now the price was almost four times as great.

From Ten Years' Captivity in the Mahdi's Camp 1882-1892 by Wingate, F. R.

In Dongola and Berber the price of dhurra rose to one hundred dollars an ardeb.

From Ten Years' Captivity in the Mahdi's Camp 1882-1892 by Wingate, F. R.

Wheat is now 400 piastres the ardeb up here; the little loaf, not quite so big as our penny roll, costs a piastre—about three-half-pence—and all in proportion. 

From Letters from Egypt by Ross, Janet