Acre
Morrish Bible Dictionary [1]
This word, as a measure of land, occurs twice in the Authorised version. In 1 Samuel 14:14 , the word is maanah, 'a furrow,' reading in the margin 'half a furrow of an acre.' In Isaiah 5:10 it is tsemed, 'a pair, or yoke' The 'acre' was as much as a yoke of oxen would plough in a day. The Latin etymology is similar: thus jugum a yoke; jugerum an acre. The Roman acre contained 28,800 square feet (being 240 feet in length by 120 in breadth), which is less than two-thirds of an English acre, which contains 43,560 square feet. "The Egyptian land measure," says Wilkinson, "was the aroura, or arura, a square of 100 cubits, covering an area of 10,000 cubits . . . . . It contained 29,184 square English feet (the cubit being full 20-1/2 inches) and was little more than three quarters of an English acre." What the Jewish acre exactly contained we have no means of ascertaining: it is not included in the usual lists of weights and measures as a definite measure of land. The passage in Isaiah 5:10 : "ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath" clearly refers to a time of great dearth which Jehovah would send upon Israel in judgement.
King James Dictionary [2]
ACRE, n. a'ker. Gr Lat. ager. In these languages, the word retains its primitive sense, an open, plowed, or sowed field. In Eng. it retained its original signification, that of any open field, until it was limited to a definite quantity by statutes 31. Ed. 35 Ed 1.24. H.8
1. A quantity of land, containing 160 square rods or perches or 4840 square yards. This is the English statute acre. The acre of Scotland contains 6150 2-5 square yards. The French arpent is nearly equal to the Scottish acre, about a fifth larger than the English. The Roman juger was 3200 square yards. 2. In the Mogul's dominions, acre is the same as lack, or 100,00 rupees, equal to 12,500 sterling, or ,500..
Acre-fight, a sort of duel in the open field, formerly fought by English and Scotch combatants on their frontiers.
Acre-tax, a tax on land in England, at a certain sum for each acre, called also acre-shot.
Webster's Dictionary [3]
(1): (n.) A piece of land, containing 160 square rods, or 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet. This is the English statute acre. That of the United States is the same. The Scotch acre was about 1.26 of the English, and the Irish 1.62 of the English.
(2): (n.) Any field of arable or pasture land.
Holman Bible Dictionary [4]
tsemed 1 Samuel 14:14 Isaiah 5:10
Easton's Bible Dictionary [5]
Isaiah 5:10 1 Samuel 14:14
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [6]
ACRE . See Weights and Measures.
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature [7]
Acre [ACCHO]
