ardeb

[ ahr-deb ]

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.

ardeb

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ardeb¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ardeb¹

C19: from Arabic ardabb, from Greek artabē a Persian measure

Example Sentences

In this way Ibrahim gathered upwards of 60,000 ardebs from the Blue and White Niles.

From Project Gutenberg

Under Nebuchadnezzar we find 12 qas, or the third part of an ardeb, of sesame sold for half a shekel, which would make the cost of a single quart a little more than a penny.

From Project Gutenberg

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 Project Gutenberg

Once no less than eighty thousand ardebs of grain was stolen from the arsenal.

From Project Gutenberg

The ardeb, like most measures in this country of commercial confusion, varies greatly according to the grain for which it is used.

From Project Gutenberg