5 Obscure Units of Measurement You Didn't Know Existed

We all know inches and centimeters, but history is full of strange units that refuse to die. Here are five you might encounter in books or specialized fields.

1. The Fathom (6 Feet)

Used primarily for water depth. If a sailor says the water is "5 fathoms deep," it means 30 feet. Originally, it was the span of a man's outstretched arms.

2. The Furlong (660 Feet)

Still used in horse racing. It equals 1/8th of a mile. It originated as the length of a furrow in a plowed field that an ox team could plow without resting.

3. The Hand (4 Inches)

Used exclusively for measuring the height of horses. A horse that is "15 hands" is 60 inches tall at the shoulder.

4. The Cord (128 Cubic Feet)

Used for firewood. It describes a stack of wood 4 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long.

5. The Smoot (5 Feet, 7 Inches)

A humorous unit created by MIT students in the 1950s who used their friend, Oliver Smoot, to measure the Harvard Bridge. It is still used to mark the bridge today!