arroba

American  

[uh-roh-buh, ahr-raw-bah] / əˈroʊ bə, ɑrˈrɔ βɑ /

noun

plural

arrobas

1. a symbol (@) that is used to link a username to a domain name, used at the beginning of Twitter handles, and in other identifying designations on the internet in Spanish-speaking countries.

2. a Spanish and Portuguese unit of weight of varying value, equal to 25.37 pounds avoirdupois (9.5 kilograms) in Mexico and to 32.38 pounds avoirdupois (12 kilograms) in Brazil.

3. a unit of liquid measure of varying value, used especially in Spain and commonly equal (when used for wine) to 4.26 U.S. gallons (16.1 liters).

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arroba British  

/ əˈrəʊbə /

noun

1. a unit of weight, approximately equal to 11 kilograms, used in some Spanish-speaking countries

2. a unit of weight, approximately equal to 15 kilograms, used in some Portuguese-speaking countries

3. a liquid measure used in some Spanish-speaking countries with different values, but in Spain used as a wine-measure, approximately equal to 16 litres

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Etymology

Origin of arroba

First recorded in 1550–1560; from Spanish, Portuguese, from Arabic al rubʿ “the fourth part, a quarter (of the qintār), from Common Semitic arbaʿ “four”; see quintal

Example Sentences

A measure for liquids, the eighth of an arroba, equal to about half a gallon. 

From The Bible in Spain - Vol. 2 [of 2] by Borrow, George Henry

Measures: Measures of one arroba, half-arroba, azumbre and quartillo.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 03 of 55 1569-1576 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century by Blair, Emma Helen

Nails, to two inches 40 " " Padlocks, brass 250 " "     "          iron 180 " " Pearl Barley 400 " arroba.

From The Andes and the Amazon Across the Continent of South America by Orton, James

By-and-by he extracted a spade, a mattock, and a skin-covered corn measure holding about the quarter of an arroba.

From The Firebrand by Crockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)

An arroba of 25 Spanish pounds = 11.49 kilogrammes.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3 by Humboldt, Alexander von