尺 chǐ ruler
ruler; tape-measure; a Chinese foot
How it came to be
A figure with a mark drawn at the leg, where a length was taken off the body. Every old measure was a piece of somebody; this one is the pace, and became the foot rule.
How it is used
- 尺子 (chǐzi) is the everyday word for a ruler, the measuring tool.
- 尺寸 (chǐcùn) - size/measurements - is the standard word for clothing and object dimensions, e.g. 量尺寸 (liáng chǐcùn) - take measurements.
- 尺度 (chǐdù) is used figuratively for "latitude" or "scale", e.g. 尺度大 (chǐdù dà) describing a film or show as risqué/explicit.
- As a unit, 尺 is a traditional Chinese foot, roughly a third of a meter, still used informally in some measurements.