noun
pound
POUND/paʊnd/
A unit of weight equal to sixteen ounces.
One pound balances sixteen separate one-ounce weights on the scale.
Etymology
The word for “weight” underlies the expression “a pound by weight,” which supplied the unit’s name. Pounds once varied in size; the sixteen-ounce pound belongs to the avoirdupois system.
In context
every time Bob and his sister feed their father's Hogs the animals gain weight a hog gains one pound for every 5 lb of corn he eats
More examples
- Apples cost two dollars a pound at this market.
- The recipe calls for half a pound of butter.
- The package weighs three pounds, including the box.
Forms
pound · pounds
Similar words
- ounce
- An ounce is one-sixteenth of a pound in weight.
- kilogram
- A kilogram is a metric unit equal to about 2.2 pounds.