1.
stature; height; body height
A person's height or stature. Composed of 背 (back, height) + 丈 (length, measure). More literary and descriptive than 身長 (しんちょう), which is the standard clinical/statistical term for height.
背丈が伸びた。
My height has grown.
彼女は母親と同じくらいの背丈だ。
She is about the same height as her mother.
草が背丈ほどに伸びていて、前が見えなかった。
The grass had grown to about my height, and I couldn't see ahead.
USAGE:
背丈 is used more in descriptive or narrative contexts, while 身長 is the standard term for exact height measurements (e.g., on medical forms). 背 alone can also mean height in casual speech (背が高い — "tall").
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 背丈が伸びる (to grow taller)
- 背丈ほどの草 (grass as tall as a person)
- 背丈に合った (suited to one's height)
- 同じ背丈 (the same height)