sesma

From Spanish sesma, from Latin sexta (“sixth”), from its use as a sixth of the vara (Spanish yard or rod).

sesma (plural sesmas)

1. (historical) A traditional Spanish unit of length, equivalent to about 13.9 cm.

• pulgada (¹⁄₆ sesma), coto (³⁄₄ sesma), palmo (1+¹⁄₂ sesmas), pie (2 sesmas), codo (3 sesmas), vara (6 sesmas)

Latin [Term?]

sesma f (plural sesmas)

1. sixth (one of six equal parts of a whole)

• sesmaria

• “sesma”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “sesma”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025

Inherited from Latin sexta (“sixth”), altered by analogy with septima (“seventh”). Doublet of sexto and siesta. In related to the unit of length, from forming one-sixth of the vara (Spanish yard or rod).

• IPA^(key): /ˈsesma/ [ˈsez.ma]
• Rhymes: -esma
• Syllabification: ses‧ma

sesma f (plural sesmas)

1. (historical) sesma, half-foot (a traditional unit of length, equivalent to about 13.9 cm)

   Synonym: jeme

2. (historical) a subdivision of the kingdom of Aragón

• (unit of length): pulgada (¹⁄₆ sesma), coto (³⁄₄ sesma), palmo (1+¹⁄₂ sesmas), pie (2 sesmas), codo (3 sesmas), vara (6 sesmas)

• “sesmo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024