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

"In the day, a lot of customers are pint drinkers, so the revenue is completely different."

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026

"That's why we're asking the government to cut the taxation on our pubs, so we can keep a pint affordable for all."

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

On average, the price of a pint has risen by about £1.50 – an increase of 36% – over the past four years.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

The price of a pint in UK pubs has risen sharply since the last World Cup, outpacing inflation.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

They still had a pint of ice cream to make.

From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene