Height
From Halbeeg, the open encyclopedia · Af-Soomaali
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Height is the vertical distance measured from the base of an object to its highest point, measured along a perpendicular line. It is one of three dimensions that define three-dimensional shape: width, depth (or breadth), and height. When an object is lying down or tilted, the same measurement is often called "vertical distance" or "length", because height depends on the vertical direction.
Height is measured in units of length. In the International System of Units (SI), the basic unit is the meter, with centimeters and millimeters used for small objects and kilometers for large ones. In other places, traditional units such as feet and inches are still used.
Human height
A person's height is typically measured while standing upright, with feet on the ground and head straight, using an instrument called a stadiometer. Height is determined by genetics, nutrition, childhood health, and environmental conditions. In children and adolescents, height increases until the skeletal growth plates fuse, which generally occurs during the teenage years. In adults, height varies throughout the day: it is slightly greater in the morning than in the evening, because of pressure on the spine during waking hours.
In health science, height alone is not sufficient for assessment; it is often compared with weight to obtain indicators such as BMI (Body Mass Index) for adults, or growth charts for children. Average population height is also sometimes used as an indicator of nutritional status and overall health of rising generations.
Height in geometry and engineering
In geometry, height is the perpendicular distance from the base to the opposite side of a shape or body, measured along a straight line perpendicular to the base. For example, the area of a triangle depends on its base and height; the volume of a cylinder and tower depends on height. In building engineering, height is measured from ground level to the roof, and sometimes distinguished separately from the height of the roof itself and the height reached by additional towers or antennas.
Related terms
In Somali, the word "dheer" means something that is tall or long, while "gaaban" is its opposite. "Dherer" is also used in a general sense of length, for example the length of a road or the length of a rope, where vertical direction is not necessarily relevant. The precise meaning therefore depends on context.