hand-breadth

And anon, or Sir Bors wist, the spear head smote him into the shoulder an hand-breadth in deepness, and that wound grieved Sir Bors passing sore.

Le Morte d'Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's book of King Arthur and of his noble knights of the Round table 2003

Water gurgled at the stern, spray made rainbows at the bow, and Valeria knew she was kneeling in a hand-breadth of water in the bottom of the craft.

Conan and The Gods of The Mountain Green, Roland 1993

A hand-breadth higher and it would have been in his back.

Conan The Victorious Jordan, Robert 1984

Suddenly she spun on her heel, drawing her sword till a hand-breadth of razor-sharp blue steel showed above the worked leather scabbard.

Conan The Invincible Jordan, Robert 1982

Ron got up and although he might have been a hand-breadth shorter than Alboolal there was something in his supple efficiency of movement that was quite impressive enough.

Division 3 Mahr, Kurt 1976

Six feet and a hand-breadth tall; dark curly hair, the temples graying, but the face still young; a face of the gravest beauty, austere even to melancholy, yet keen with life.

The Mask of Apollo Renault, Mary, 1905-1983 1966

Arrangements upset; funerals this morning (seven); had to rush to overtake procession; Ps. 39, "Handbreed" (an hand-breadth).

Woman's Endurance

The good sword stood a hand-breadth out behind the Tuscan's head.

The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886 Ontario. Ministry of Education

Pearle and pretious stone, with a hand-breadth of the pauement on euerie side hanging downe.

Hypnerotomachia The Strife of Loue in a Dreame Francesco Colonna

When these horrible preparations were completed the blacksmith left me and a mason bricked up the slit through which I had entered, leaving only a hand-breadth of space for air and the thrusting through of such scraps of food as were to be allowed me.

The Darrow Enigma Melvin Linwood Severy