anthropometry

anthropometry (ănthrəpŏmˈətrē) [key], technique of measuring the human body in terms of dimensions, proportions, and ratios such as those provided by the cephalic index. Once the standard approach to racial classification and comparing humans to other primates, the technique is now used for deciding the range of clothing sizes to be manufactured and determining the nutritional status of people.

See A. Montagu, A Handbook of Anthropometry (1960); R. McCammon, Human Growth and Development (1970).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.