A "link" is a unit of length that is equivalent to 1/100th of a chain. In the United States customary system of measurement, one link is equal to 7.92 inches or 0.201168 meters. It is primarily used in surveying and land measurement.
Links are often used in conjunction with other surveying units like chains and rods to measure distances on land, especially for large plots or parcels of land. The term "link" is rarely used in everyday conversation or modern applications outside of surveying and related fields. Instead, more common units like feet, yards, or meters are used for measuring length in most contexts.
A "barleycorn" is a small unit of length that was historically used for measuring small lengths or sizes of objects, particularly in some English-speaking countries. It is based on the length of an average grain of barley.
In the traditional English system of measurement, one barleycorn is equal to approximately 1/3 of an inch or about 0.8467 centimeters. This unit was used for measuring short lengths, such as the length of a person's foot for shoe sizing.
While the barleycorn is not commonly used in modern times for scientific or everyday measurements, it has historical significance, especially in the context of footwear sizing. Some traditional shoe sizing systems still reference barleycorns, where each size increase or decrease corresponds to the length of a barleycorn. However, most modern countries have adopted standardized shoe sizing systems based on centimeters or inches for more precise and consistent measurements.