steelyard

[ steel-yahrd, stil-yerd ]

noun
  1. a portable balance with two unequal arms, the longer one having a movable counterpoise and the shorter one bearing a hook or the like for holding the object to be weighed.

Origin of steelyard

1
First recorded in 1630–40; steel + yard1

Words Nearby steelyard

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British Dictionary definitions for steelyard

steelyard

/ (ˈstiːlˌjɑːd) /


noun
  1. a portable balance consisting of a pivoted bar with two unequal arms. The load is suspended from the shorter one and the bar is returned to the horizontal by adding weights to the longer one

Origin of steelyard

1
C17: from steel + yard 1 (in the archaic sense: a rod or pole)

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