picul

[ pik-uhl ]

noun

1. (in China and Southeast Asia) a weight equal to 100 catties, or from about 133 to about 143 pounds avoirdupois (60–64 kilograms).

picul

/ ˈpɪkəl /

noun

1. a unit of weight, used in China, Japan, and SE Asia, equal to approximately 60 kilograms or 133 pounds

Word History and Origins

Origin of picul¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Malay pikull, the term for the maximum load that a man using a shoulder yoke can carry

Word History and Origins

Origin of picul¹

C16: from Malay pīkul a grown man's load

Example Sentences

Later, the price was advanced; until about 1900 the government paid fifteen florins per picul for coffee in parchment.

From Project Gutenberg

It was purchased by the picul of 133-1/2 pounds, the price varying from eight to ten dollars for the picul.

From Project Gutenberg

The picul is here one hundred and thirty-seven pounds, Spanish, or one hundred and forty pounds, English.

From Project Gutenberg

Its price is very high, being 460 taels per picul or chest, while native opium is only 350 taels, including transit dues.

From Project Gutenberg

In these cases an industrious workman may obtain as much as one picul in a week.

From Project Gutenberg