arshin

[ ahr-sheen ]

noun

1. a Russian unit of length equal to 28 inches (71 centimeters).

Word History and Origins

Origin of arshin¹

First recorded in 1725–35; from Russian arshín, from Tatar aršïn or a cognate Turkic word, ultimately from Persian

Example Sentences

It was Bahrain’s rulers who widened sectarian schisms by crushing the protests, said Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, a lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

From BusinessWeek

“The current opposition movement in Libya is diverse and includes secular, nationalists, monarchists and Islamist elements,” said Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

From New York Times

It stands the Government in about a rouble the arshin, and sells for two roubles.

From Project Gutenberg

An arshin is 0.77 of a yard, so any one who knows decimals can tell exactly how high the little man was and the precise length of his beard.

From Project Gutenberg

"A wound an arshín long will heal over, but if you cut off so much as a nail, it will not grow again!"

From Project Gutenberg