six-foot-high
UK[ˌsɪks fʊt ˈhaɪ]US[ˌsɪks fʊt ˈhaɪ]
adj
measuring six feet from the bottom to the top
Morpheme Breakdown
six
foot
high
six
number
foot
unit
high
measurement
Etymology
the compound adjective "six-foot-high" is a modern english construction following a traditional pattern for specifying dimensions. its components are all of germanic origin, descending from old english. "six" denotes the quantity, "foot" specifies the unit of linear measurement historically derived from the length of a human foot, and "high" indicates the dimension being measured. the logic of the phrase is purely descriptive, combining these elemental terms to precisely convey an object's vertical measurement in a commonly understood imperial unit.
Analysis
Structure: six (number) + foot (unit) + high (measurement)
six: from old english 'siex', a numeral.
foot: from old english 'fōt', a unit of length based on the human foot.
high: from old english 'hēah', meaning of great vertical extent.
Examples
they built a six-foot-high fence around the property.
the sculpture was a six-foot-high abstract form made of steel.
the floodwaters reached a six-foot-high mark on the wall.