pint

American  

[pahynt] / paɪnt /

noun

• pints
  plural

1. a liquid and also dry measure of capacity, equal to one half of a liquid and dry quart respectively, approximately 35 cubic inches (0.473 liter). pt, pt.

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pint British  

/ paɪnt /

noun

1. a unit of liquid measure of capacity equal to one eighth of a gallon. 1 Brit pint is equal to 0.568 litre, 1 US pint to 0.473 litre

2. a unit of dry measure of capacity equal to one half of a quart. 1 US dry pint is equal to one sixty-fourth of a US bushel or 0.5506 litre

3. a measure having such a capacity

4. informal

   1. a pint of beer

   2. a drink of beer

      he's gone out for a pint

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pint Scientific  

/ pīnt /

1. A unit of liquid volume or capacity in the US Customary System, equal to 16 fluid ounces or 28.88 cubic inches (about 0.47 liter).

2. A unit of dry volume or capacity used in the US Customary System, equal to 1/2 of a quart or 34.6 cubic inches (about 0.55 liter).

3. See Table at measurement

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pints
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pint

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pynte, from Old French pinte or Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pinte

Compare meaning

How does pint compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• pint vs. gallon
• pint vs. liter

Explanation

A pint is a unit of measurement. A US liquid pint is the same as sixteen ounces — you could order a pint of iced coffee at your local cafe, but it may just confuse the barista. The term pint is more familiar in Britain than the US, although it's used to measure goods in both places. If you order a pint in a pub, you'll get a large glass holding one fluid pint of beer, and in the UK you can also buy pints of milk. British pints are larger than their US counterparts, though — both countries consider a pint to be one-eighth of a gallon, but an Imperial gallon (in Britain or Ireland) is larger.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pint pints

We always try to have a pint of ice cream in our freezer from Henry’s Secret, which you can only order online for the time being.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

A woman has claimed a free pint of beer after finding a coin and a mysterious message hidden in the wall of her house.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

The card, discovered by Ellie Mead in Bicester, Oxfordshire, revealed the cache was left there in 1971 by electrician David Judd, who promised "one pint best beer if penny returned".

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

On summer evenings here, the streets are thronged with people spilling out onto the sidewalk to enjoy a pint and take a rare break from complaining about the weather.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

“Wow, you’re in a good mood,” I tell him as I finish and he pulls a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream out of the freezer.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

As the debate rumbles on, the staff at the Middle Ale continue serving up pints of Guinness and Lidl’s own range of lagers and wines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Pulling lunchtime pints for suited-up workers in London, Cade Moyses did not feel optimistic about the change of guard.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Like Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Burnham likes to be photographed swigging pints in pubs.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

The group was formed, as might be expected, over pints at a London pub.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

While his father pulled a couple of pints for a customer, Malcolm gathered empty glasses in a suitably inconspicuous manner, and he was glad to see that his hands remained steady.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman