avoirdupois
[ av-er-duh-poiz ]
/ ˌæv ər dəˈpɔɪz /
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noun
Informal. body weight: He carries around a lot of excess avoirdupois.
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Origin of avoirdupois
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 dē ) + pois (earlier peis, from Latin pēnsum “something weighed, weight,” from pendere “to weigh, weigh out”)
Words nearby avoirdupois
avoidance, avoidance play, avoidant, avoidant personality, avoid like the plague, avoirdupois, avoirdupois weight, Avon, Avon Lake, à votre santé, avouch
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for avoirdupois
British Dictionary definitions for avoirdupois
avoirdupois
avoirdupois weight
/ (ˌævədəˈpɔɪz, ˌævwɑːdjuːˈpwɑː) /
noun
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 tonAbbreviation: avdp, avoir
Word Origin for avoirdupois
C14: from Old French aver de peis goods of weight
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for avoirdupois
avoirdupois
[ ăv′ər-də-poiz′ ]
n.
Avoirdupois weight.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.