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height

n. C / U
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈhaɪt// UK //hˈaɪt// height General-service

n. the measurement of how tall a person or thing is from the bottom to the top. It can also mean the distance of something above the ground.

n. the vertical distance from the base to the top of an object or person; the distance of an object above a specific level, such as the ground or sea level.


SIMPLE

The doctor measured my height during the checkup.

CONTEXTUAL

The pilot announced that the plane had reached its cruising height of thirty thousand feet.

COMPLEX

In geometry, the height of a triangle is the perpendicular distance from a vertex to the opposite side, which serves as the base for area calculations.

Synonyms
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kewk- Proto-Indo-European *kówk-o-s Proto-Germanic *hauhaz Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂der. Proto-Germanic *-iþō Proto-Germanic *hauhiþō Proto-West Germanic *hauhiþu Old English hīehþu Middle English heighte English height From Middle English heighte, heiȝþe, from Old English hēahþu, hēhþo, hīehþu (“height”), Proto-West Germanic hauhiþu, from Proto-Germanic hauhiþō (compare *hauhaz). Equivalent to high + -t (abstract nominal suffix). The regular pronunciation is now obsolete /heɪt/ (as with other words in -eight); the modern form developed early on, at first as a variant, by analogy with the underlying adjective. Cognates See also Saterland Frisian Höchte, Hööchte (“height”), West Frisian hichte (“height”), Dutch hoogte (“height”), Middle High German hœhede, hœhte (“height”), Old Norse hæð (“height”) (compare Swedish höjd, Norwegian høyde), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌹𐌸𐌰 (hauhiþa, “height”).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general quality of being tall; countable when referring to specific measurements or peak points.

Pitfall

He has 180 centimeters of heightHe is 180 centimeters tallLearners often use the noun 'height' with 'have' when describing a person's stature, but English typically uses the adjective 'tall' with the verb 'to be'.

Idioms1 entry

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