ounce
1 Americannoun
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a unit of weight equal to 437.5 grains or 1/16 pound (28.35 grams) avoirdupois.
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a unit of 480 grains, 1/12 pound (31.1 grams) troy or apothecaries' weight.
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a fluid ounce.
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a small quantity or portion.
noun
noun
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oz. a unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound (avoirdupois); 1 ounce is equal to 437.5 grains or 28.349 grams
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a unit of weight equal to one twelfth of a Troy or Apothecaries' pound; 1 ounce is equal to 480 grains or 31.103 grams
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short for fluid ounce
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a small portion or amount
noun
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A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 1/16 of a pound or 437.5 grains (28.35 grams).
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See Table at measurement
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See fluid ounce
Etymology
Origin of ounce1
1350–1400; Middle English unce < Middle French < Latin uncia twelfth part, inch, ounce, derivative of unus one
Origin of ounce2
1300–50; Middle English unce lynx < Anglo-French; Old French once, variant of lonce (erroneously taken as l'once the ounce) < Vulgar Latin *luncea, derivative of Latin lync- (stem of lynx ) lynx
Vocabulary lists containing ounce
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ounce for ounce, table, kosher and sea salt have about the same sodium count.
From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2022
The fires caused $190,000 worth of damage at Habitude Spa and Red Star Taco Bar and another $10,000 in damage to the restaurant Ounce of Prevention, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 26, 2018
The durable CamelBak Eddy Kids 12 Ounce is the lightest of our picks, thanks to its plastic construction.
From Slate • Dec. 7, 2018
Earlier this year, the Ounce of Prevention's Elliott Regenstein authored a paper arguing that new state accountability systems should pay much more attention to how schools serve children in grades preschool-3.
From US News • Oct. 6, 2016
No Fo’ty Ounce and his creaky cart or Mrs. Pearl hollering a greeting from across the street.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
