FOOT
, a measure of length, divided into 12 inches, and each inch supposed to contain 3 barley-corns in length. Geometricians divide the Foot into 10 digits, and the digit into 10 lines, &c. The French divide their Foot, as we do, into 12 inches; but their inch they divide into 12 lines.
It seems this measure has been taken from the length of the human Foot; but it is of different lengths in different countries. The Paris royal Foot is to the English Foot, as 4263 to 4000, and exceeds the English by 9 1/2 lines; the ancient Roman Foot of the Capitol consisted of 4 palms; equal to 11 inches and 7/10 English; the Rhinland, or Leyden Foot, used by the northern nations, is to the Roman Foot, as 19 to 20. For the proportions of the Foot of several nations, compared with the English, see the article Measure.
Square Foot, is a square whose side is 1 foot, or 12 inches, and consequently its area is 144 square inches.
Cubic Foot, is a cube whose side is one Foot, or 12 inches, and consequently it contains 123 or 1728 cubic inches.
Foot-bank, or Foot-step, in Fortification. See BANQUETTE.
