steelyard

American  

[steel-yahrd, stil-yerd] / ˈstilˌyɑrd, ˈstɪl yərd /

noun

1. a portable balance with two unequal arms, the longer one having a movable counterpoise and the shorter one bearing a hook or the like for holding the object to be weighed.

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steelyard British  

/ ˈstiːlˌjɑːd /

noun

1. a portable balance consisting of a pivoted bar with two unequal arms. The load is suspended from the shorter one and the bar is returned to the horizontal by adding weights to the longer one

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Etymology

Origin of steelyard

First recorded in 1630–40; steel + yard ¹

Example Sentences

The heavily laden vessel voyaged to Barbados, resupplied for nine days at sea, then steamed off for the steelyards of Baltimore.

From Washington Post

In 1981, they bought an adjacent property where an old roller rink once sat, and three years later they cobbled together a mill from steelyard scraps, using the first of three Small Business Association loans.

From Washington Times

At a Lagos steelyard of Dorman-Long Engineering, the only activity on a recent afternoon was the welding of an oil storage tank.

From New York Times

When the holes are ready, four massive platforms will be shipped in from steelyards across Italy where they were built and placed on the pillars.

From Newsweek

The consequence is that every man that can possibly afford it carries his own steelyard, in order to check the tradesmen who might be inclined to give them short measure.

From Project Gutenberg