ounce

¹ 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.

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ounce ² American  

[ouns] / aʊns /

noun

1. snow leopard.

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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

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ounce ² British  

/ aʊns /

noun

1. another name for snow leopard

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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

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ounce Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing ounce

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

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Etymology

Origin of ounce¹

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

Origin of ounce²

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

Example Sentences

New York gold added 1.5% to trade at $4,188.10 a troy ounce in early European trade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026

Still, UBS analysts, led by Myles Allsop, think gold’s bull run, which in some ways began with the breach of $2,000 an ounce in late 2023, is likely “on pause, rather than over.”

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

"I mean, he hasn't shown an ounce of remorse," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

The dollar and Treasury yields rose while gold fell back below $4,000 a troy ounce and Bitcoin hovered above a 21-month low, as rate-hike expectations continued to weigh on nonyielding assets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

An ounce of phosphorus retailed for six guineas–perhaps five hundred dollars in today’s money–or more than gold.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson