also: ましゃく
measuring rope with ken marks; measurement
A traditional measuring rope marked in ken (1 ken ≈ 182 cm). Also used broadly for measurement or scale. Often appears in the idiom 間尺に合わない (not worth the effort).
The carpenter measured the pillar length using a ken-marked rope.
This job isn't worth the effort.
Standard kanji form; reading けんじゃく is more common.
Alternate reading; less common than けんじゃく.
Compound of 間 (ken, a traditional unit of length) and 尺 (shaku, another unit or measure). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word refers to a measuring tool marked in ken.