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ounce

1 American  
[ouns] / aʊns /

noun

  1. snow leopard.

ounce 2 American  
[ouns] / aʊns /

noun

  1. a unit of weight equal to 437.5 grains or 1/16 pound (28.35 grams) avoirdupois.

  2. a unit of 480 grains, 1/12 pound (31.1 grams) troy or apothecaries' weight.

  3. a fluid ounce.

  4. a small quantity or portion.

ounce 1 British  
/ aʊns /

noun

  1.  oz.  a unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound (avoirdupois); 1 ounce is equal to 437.5 grains or 28.349 grams

  2. a unit of weight equal to one twelfth of a Troy or Apothecaries' pound; 1 ounce is equal to 480 grains or 31.103 grams

  3. short for fluid ounce

  4. a small portion or amount

"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
ounce 2 British  
/ aʊns /

noun

  1. another name for snow leopard

"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
ounce Scientific  
/ ouns /

  1. A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 1/16 of a pound or 437.5 grains (28.35 grams).

  2. See Table at measurement

  3. See fluid ounce

ounce Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing ounce

    • more bang for the buck (bounce for the ounce)

Etymology

Origin of ounce1

1300–50; Middle English unce lynx < Anglo-French; Old French once, variant of lonce (erroneously taken as l'once the ounce) < Vulgar Latin *luncea, derivative of Latin lync- (stem of lynx ) lynx

Origin of ounce1

1350–1400; Middle English unce < Middle French < Latin uncia twelfth part, inch, ounce, derivative of unus one

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At the same time, silver was trading at about $74 an ounce after hitting an all-time high of of $83.62 on Monday.

From BBC

Gold futures rose 1.3% to over $4,400 an ounce on Tuesday, with prices up two-thirds this year and near record levels.

From Barron's

On Jan. 1, China’s new export-licensing regime takes effect, putting government gatekeepers between 121 million ounces of annual silver exports and the rest of the world.

From MarketWatch

Noting there are persistent global deficits of around 200 million to 230 million ounces, this measure could severely deepen shortages.

From MarketWatch

The white metal gained again to start the week, jumping to a new record above $80 an ounce on Sunday.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.