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pound
pound1 / pound/ • n. 1. (abbr.: lb) a unit of weight in general use equal to 16 oz. avoirdupois (0.4536 kg). ∎ a unit of weight equal to 12 oz. troy (0.3732 kg) used for precious metals. 2. (also pound ster·ling (pl. pounds ster·ling) ) the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence. ∎ another term for punt4 . ∎ the basic monetary unit of several Middle Eastern countries, equal to 100 piastres. ∎ the basic monetary unit of Cyprus, equal to 100 cents. ∎ a monetary unit of the Sudan, equal to one tenth of a dinar. PHRASES: one's pound of flesh something that one is strictly or legally entitled to, but that it is ruthless or inhuman to demand. pound2 • v. [tr.] strike or hit heavily and repeatedly: Patrick pounded the couch with his fists U.S. gunships pounded the capital| [intr.] pounding on the door, she shouted at the top of her voice. ∎ crush or grind (something) into a powder or paste by beating it with an instrument such as a pestle: pound the cloves with salt and pepper until smooth. ∎ [intr.] beat, throb, or vibrate with a strong regular rhythm: her heart was pounding. ∎ [intr.] walk or run with heavy steps: I heard him pounding along the gangway. ∎ inf. defeat (an opponent) in a resounding way: [tr.] the Yankees pounded the Red Sox 22–1. PHRASES: pound the beat (of a police officer) patrol an assigned route or area. pound the pavement walk the streets in an effort to accomplish something: I will pound the pavement from city to city in order to explain the dangers. ∎ search diligently for something, typically for a job: although the country's current jobless rate is small, the number of people pounding the pavement has become a growing worry. PHRASAL VERBS: pound something out type something with heavy keystrokes: an old typewriter on which she pounded out her poems. ∎ produce music by striking an instrument heavily and repeatedly: the women pounded out a ringing tattoo on several oil drums. pound3 • n. a place where stray animals, esp. dogs, may be officially taken and kept until claimed by their owners or otherwise disposed of. ∎ a place where illegally parked motor vehicles removed by the police are kept until their owners pay a fine in order to reclaim them. ∎ archaic a place of confinement; a trap or prison. • v. [tr.] archaic shut (an animal) in a pound. |
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Cite this article
"pound." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "pound." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-pound005.html "pound." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-pound005.html |
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pound
pound a unit of weight equal to 16 oz. avoirdupois (0.4536 kg), or 12 oz. troy (0.3732 kg); the basic monetary unit (also pound sterling) of the UK, equal to 100 pence (prior to decimalization, 20 shillings or 240 pence). Recorded from Old English, the word is of Germanic origin, and comes ultimately from Latin (libra) pondo, denoting a Roman ‘pound weight’ of 12 ounces.
In the UK in the late 20th century the pound as a monetary unit has become emblematic of a desire to preserve British currency from the European standardization already applied by metrication to weights and measures. one's pound of flesh something one is strictly or legally entitled to, but which it is ruthless or inhuman to demand. The allusion is to Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, and the bond between Antonio and Shylock by which Antonio pledges a pound of his own flesh if he defaults on the bill. Shylock's insistence (defeated by Portia) on holding to the letter of the agreement is taken as a type of rapacity and ferocity. See also an ounce of practice is worth a pound of precept, take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves, in for a penny, in for a pound, penny wise and pound foolish. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "pound." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "pound." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-pound.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "pound." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-pound.html |
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pound
pound abbr. lb, unit of either mass or force in the customary system of English units of measurement . Two different pounds of mass are defined, one in the avoirdupois system of units and one in the Troy system. The avoirdupois pound (lb avdp) is now defined in terms of the kilogram , the metric unit of mass; 1 lb avdp is equal to 0.45359237 kg. The Troy pound is used only for the measurement of precious metals and is defined as 5760/7000 of the avoirdupois pound. The apothecaries' pound is identical to the Troy pound. As a unit of force, or weight, the pound is the weight that a mass of 1 lb avdp has when the acceleration of gravity has its standard value (9.80665 meters per second per second). In ordinary usage, the term pound is often used without specifying whether force or mass is meant, but for scientific purposes it is important to make this distinction. |
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"pound." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "pound." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-pound.html "pound." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-pound.html |
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pound
pound Imperial unit of weight equal to 0.453kg. It has been replaced by the kilogram, the SI unit, but is retained in the USA for nonscientific measurements. It became a unit of currency when a pound (lb) weight of silver was divided into 240 penny units. The pound sterling has been the main unit of English currency since the Middle Ages.
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"pound." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "pound." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-pound.html "pound." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-pound.html |
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pound
pound1 measure of weight; English money of account (orig. pound weight of silver). OE. pund = OS. pund, MDu. pont (Du. pond), OHG. phunt (G. pfund), ON., Goth. pund :- Gmc. *punda — L. pondō (indeclinable) pound weight, orig. abl. of *pondos (libra pondō pound by weight), rel. to pondus weight.
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T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pound.html T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pound.html |
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pound
pound3 break down and crush as with a pestle OE.; strike heavily XVII; move with heavy steps, proceed heavily XIX. Late OE. pūnian, ME. poune, f. *pūn- (whence also Du. puin, LG. pün rubbish), of unkn. orig. The final d appears XVI.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pound2.html T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pound2.html |
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pound
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pound1.html T. F. HOAD. "pound." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pound1.html |
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pound
pound The translation of mina (Luke 19: 13) as ‘pound’ (NRSV, NJB) is said (NRSV marg.) to be what a labourer would earn in three months.
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "pound." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "pound." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-pound.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "pound." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-pound.html |
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pound
pound •abound, aground, around, astound, bound, compound, confound, dumbfound, expound, found, ground, hound, impound, interwound, mound, pound, profound, propound, redound, round, sound, stoneground, surround, theatre-in-the-round (US theater-in-the-round), underground, wound
•spellbound • westbound • casebound
•eastbound • windbound • hidebound
•fogbound • stormbound
•northbound • housebound
•outbound • southbound • snowbound
•weatherbound • earthbound
•hellhound • greyhound • foxhound
•newshound • wolfhound
•bloodhound • background
•battleground • campground
•fairground • playground
•whip-round • foreground
•showground • merry-go-round
•runaround • turnaround • ultrasound
•pre-owned, unowned
•unchaperoned • poind • untuned
•Lund
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Cite this article
"pound." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "pound." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-pound.html "pound." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-pound.html |
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