pound

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Translations 1.2.1.2 Synonyms 1.2.1.3 See also 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.1.1 Usage notes 1.3.1.2 Translations 1.4 Etymology 3 1.4.1 Verb 1.4.1.1 Derived terms 1.4.1.2 Translations 1.4.1.3 See also

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /paʊnd/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -aʊnd

[edit] Etymology 1

From Old English pund, from Proto-Germanic *punda-, an early borrowing from Latin pondō in lībra pondō ‘a pound by weight’ (a misinterpretation: pondō is the adverb meaning ‘by weight’, originally an ablative form of pondus). Cognate with Dutch pond, German Pfund, Swedish pund.

[edit] Noun

pound (plural pounds)

1. Short for pound-force, a unit of force/weight.
2. A unit of mass equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces (= 453.592 37 g) or 12 troy ounces (≈ 373.242 g). Its symbol is lb.
3. (US) The symbol # (octothorpe, hash)
4. A unit of currency used in Cyprus; Egypt; Lebanon; the United Kingdom and its dependencies; and formerly in the Republic of Ireland (which now uses the euro) and Israel (which now uses the sheqel). Its symbol is £.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Synonyms

• (unit of currency): punt (the former Irish currency), pound sterling (the UK currency), sterling (the UK currency)
• (# symbol): hash (UK), sharp

[edit] See also

• Wikipedia article on the pound (the unit of mass)
• Wikipedia article on the pound (the unit of currency)

[edit] Etymology 2

From Middle English pounde, from Old English pyndan (“‘to enclose, impound’”).

[edit] Noun

pound (plural pounds)

1. A place for the detention of stray or wandering animals.
2. A place for the detention of automobiles that have been illegally parked, abandoned, etc.
3. A hard blow.
4. The part of a canal between two locks, and therefore at the same water level.

[edit] Usage notes

• Manx English uses this word uncountably.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 3

From Middle English pounden, alteration of pounen, from Old English pūnian. Likely influenced by Etymology 2 Middle English pounde, from Old English pyndan (“‘to enclose, impound’”), in relation to the hollow mortar for pounding with the pestle.

[edit] Verb

to pound (third-person singular simple present pounds, present participle pounding, simple past and past participle pounded)

1. (transitive) To strike (something or someone) hard repeatedly.
2. (transitive) To crush to pieces; to pulverize.
3. (transitive) (slang) To eat or drink very quickly.

   You really pounded that beer!

4. (transitive, baseball, slang) To pitch consistently to a certain location.

   The pitcher has been pounding the outside corner all night.

[edit] Derived terms

• pounding
• pound-for-pound
• pound the table

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• bang