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

Pint-holding crowds standing outside “adds to the buzz of the area,” said George O’Mahoney, 27, who regularly enjoys an after-work pint.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

On summer evenings, 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

Whether he is pulling a pint, tossing a builder's helmet in the air or running with Olympic medallist Mo Farah, the UK's new prime minister Andy Burnham has embraced social media with a deft touch.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

There's just one catch - the pint in question is 162 years old.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

I open the freezer and grab a pint of mint chip ice cream, find a spoon, and head to my room.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

In Havana's leafy middle-class Vedado neighborhood, pints at a dollar a pop were flowing at a watch party in a cultural center festooned with a Brazil flag and World Cup bunting.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026

Not this year: We’re going to an Oscar Wilde play in Dublin, no doubt followed by a couple of pints in the pub.

From Salon ● May 31, 2026

"This comes on top of capping corporation tax, cutting alcohol duty on draught pints and six cuts in interest rates, benefiting businesses in every part of Britain," the spokesperson said.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

She tells Mam that Mikey has more sense than twelve men drinking pints in a pub.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt