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

Spot gold is flat at $4,539.13 per ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Silver futures are down nearly 8% to $78.66 an ounce while gold falls 2.3% to $4,573.8 a troy ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Meanwhile, silver fell 1.4% to $88.12 an ounce and platinum was down 2.1% to $2,150.60 an ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Spot gold rises 0.3% to $4,701.90 an ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

I’ve had to fight for every win, every place at the table, every ounce of respect on my path to world-class athlete.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad