pound

pound
{{11}}pound (n.1) "measure of weight," O.E. pund, from W.Gmc. stem *punda- "pound" as a measure of weight (Cf. Goth. pund, O.H.G. pfunt, Ger. Pfund, M.Du. pont, O.Fris., O.N. pund), early borrowing from L. pondo "pound," originally in libra pondo "a pound by weight," from pondo (adv.) "by weight," ablative of *pondus "weight" (see SPAN (Cf. span) (v.)). Meaning "unit of money" was in O.E., originally "pound of silver." At first "12 ounces;" meaning "16 ounces" was established before late 14c. Pound cake (1747) so called because it has a pound, more or less, of each ingredient. Pound of flesh is from "Merchant of Venice" IV.i. The abbreviations lb., ВЈ are from libra, and reflect the medieval custom of keeping accounts in Latin.
{{12}}pound (n.2) "enclosed place for animals," late O.E. pundfald "penfold, pound," related to pyndan "to dam up, enclose (water)," and thus from the same root as pond. Ultimate origin unknown; no certain cognates beyond English.
{{12}}pound (v.) "pulverize," O.E. punian "crush," from W.Gmc. *puno-, stem of *punojanan (Cf. Low Ger. pun, Du. puin "fragments"). With intrusive -d- from 16c. Related: Pounded; pounding.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Pound — may refer to:Units*Pound (currency), a unit of currency in various countries *Pound sign, £ *Pound sterling, the fundamental unit of currency in Great Britain * Pound (force), a unit of force *Pound (mass), various units of mass *Number sign, #,… …   Wikipedia

  • POUND (E.) — Critique, traducteur, poète, Pound a marqué la poésie américaine contemporaine de son empreinte: nul n’a échappé à son influence. L’œuvre de Pound, tendue et intransigeante, assure à la poésie américaine continuité et permanence; de même qu’elle… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • pound — pound1 [pound] n. pl. pounds; sometimes, after a number, pound [ME < OE pund, akin to Ger pfund: WGmc loanword < L pondo, a pound, orig. abl. of pondus, weight (in libra pondo, a pound in weight), akin to pendere: see PENDANT] 1. a) the… …   English World dictionary

  • pound — [paʊnd] noun [countable] 1. written abbreviation £ the standard unit of currency in Britain, which is divided into 100 pence: • a twenty pound note • a shortfall of millions of pounds 2. the (British) pound the value of the British currency… …   Financial and business terms

  • Pound — (engl. für ‚Pfund‘) steht für: pound (anglo amerikanische Gewichtseinheit) Pfund Sterling, die aktuelle britische Währung Pound (Software), eine Load Balancing Software £ oder ₤, das Pfundzeichen Pound ist der Name folgender Personen: Caspar… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • pound — ● pound nom féminin Unité fondamentale britannique de masse (symbole lb). [La pound, dont le nom français correspondant est livre, est l unité d où sont dérivées les autres. C est la masse d un étalon en platine, l « Imperial Standard Pound »,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Pound — 〈[ paʊnd] n.; s, od. s; 〉 engl. Gewichtseinheit, 453,6 g * * * Pound [paʊnd], das; , s [engl. pound, eigtl. = Pfund, < aengl. pund < lat. pondo, ↑ Pfund]: englische Gewichtseinheit (453,60 g; Abk.: lb. [Sg.], lbs. [Pl.]). * * * I …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Pound — Pound, n.; pl. {Pounds}, collectively {Pound} or {Pounds}. [AS. pund, fr. L. pondo, akin to pondus a weight, pendere to weigh. See {Pendant}.] 1. A certain specified weight; especially, a legal standard consisting of an established number of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pound — Pound, n.; pl. {Pounds}, collectively {Pound} or {Pounds}. [AS. pund, fr. L. pondo, akin to pondus a weight, pendere to weigh. See {Pendant}.] 1. A certain specified weight; especially, a legal standard consisting of an established number of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pound — Ⅰ. pound [1] ► NOUN 1) a unit of weight equal to 16 oz avoirdupois (0.4536 kg), or 12 oz troy (0.3732 kg). 2) (also pound sterling) (pl. pounds sterling) the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence. 3) another term for PUNT(Cf. ↑ …   English terms dictionary

  • Pound — Pound, n. [AS. pund an inclosure: cf. forpyndan to turn away, or to repress, also Icel. pynda to extort, torment, Ir. pont, pond, pound. Cf. {Pinder}, {Pinfold}, {Pin} to inclose, {Pond}.] 1. An inclosure, maintained by public authority, in which …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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