pound sterling

Variant of pound

pound definition

pound (po̵und)

noun pl. pounds, pound

    1. the basic unit of weight in the FPS system, equal to l6 ounces avoirdupois (453.59237 grams)
    2. a unit of weight equal to 12 ounces troy or 12 ounces apothecaries' (373.2418 grams)
  2. the basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom, equal to 100 (new) pennies: before 1971 a pound was equal to 20 shillings or 240 pennies: symbol, £ (see libra, )
    in full pound sterling
  3. any of the basic monetary units of various countries, as Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria
  4. a former Scottish monetary unit (pound Scots), originally equal to the British pound
  5. Bible mina

Etymology: ME < OE pund, akin to Ger pfund: WGmc loanword < L pondo, a pound, orig. abl. of pondus, weight (in libra pondo, a pound in weight), akin to pendere: see pendant

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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