Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for avoirdupois

avoirdupois

[ av-er-duh-poiz ]

noun

  1. Informal. body weight:

    He carries around a lot of excess avoirdupois.



avoirdupois

/ ˌævwɑːdjuːˈpwɑː; ˌævədəˈpɔɪz /

noun

  1. a system of weights used in many English-speaking countries. It is based on the pound, which contains 16 ounces or 7000 grains. 100 pounds (US) or 112 pounds (Brit) is equal to 1 hundredweight and 20 hundredweights equals 1 ton Abbreviationavdpavoir
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of avoirdupois1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English avoir de pois literally, “goods of weight, property of weight,” from Old French aver “goods, property,” equivalent to avoir (earlier aveir, from Latin habēre “to have”) + de “of” (from Latin ) + pois (earlier peis, from Latin pēnsum “something weighed, weight,” from pendere “to weigh, weigh out”)
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of avoirdupois1

C14: from Old French aver de peis goods of weight
Discover More

Example Sentences

Our nation's excess avoirdupois was, it was alleged, costing north of $100 billion a year.

Its owner seems to take as much pride in her bones as the big girls of Rubens could take in their avoirdupois.

English avoirdupois, costing from one dollar and three-quarters to two dollars and a half.

I never can see why I should relieve a maiden of a burden when her avoirdupois equals mine.

"Let go, Mr. Passford," whispered Flint, when he realized that his avoirdupois was too much for the young officer.

How can we know that one pound and one pound make two pounds, if one of the pounds may be troy and the other avoirdupois?

In the computation of avoirdupois and of the tape-measure, this was the greatest figure that ever travelled the Great North Road.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


avoid like the plagueavoirdupois weight