avoirdupois

1 of 2

noun

av·​oir·​du·​pois ˌa-vər-də-ˈpȯiz How to pronounce avoirdupois (audio)
ˈa-vər-də-ˌpȯiz
1
2
: weight, heaviness
especially : personal weight

avoirdupois

2 of 2

adjective

: expressed in avoirdupois weight
one ounce avoirdupois

Did you know?

When avoirdupois first appeared in English in the 15th century, it referred to “goods sold by weight,” which is also the meaning of its Middle English predecessor, avoir de pois. That term comes from an Anglo-French phrase meaning “goods of weight” or “property.” Today, avoirdupois most commonly refers to the system of weight measurement used for general merchandise, in which the pound is equal to 16 ounces, the ounce 16 drams, and the dram an ultra-specific 27.344 grains. (Some other weight systems are apothecaries’ weight, used to measure pharmaceutical items, and troy weight, used for precious metals.) It was William Shakespeare, in his play Henry IV, Part 2, who first used avoirdupois to mean “heaviness”: “the weight of a hair will turn the scales between their avoirdupois.”

Examples of avoirdupois in a Sentence

Noun the coach limited his recruiting to linebackers of a certain avoirdupois told his patient that he had to do something about his unhealthy avoirdupois and that exercising would be a good start
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
To make the most of the full fury of its hot-cam performance, the Integra was trimmed of 140 pounds of not-so-necessary avoirdupois. Barry Winfield, Car and Driver, 21 May 2020 McCormick was a member of the Jolly Fat Men’s Club, a fraternal group that celebrated avoirdupois. John Kelly, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'avoirdupois.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English avoir de pois goods sold by weight, from Anglo-French, literally, goods of weight

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1619, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of avoirdupois was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Avoirdupois.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avoirdupois. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

avoirdupois

noun
av·​oir·​du·​pois
ˌav-ərd-ə-ˈpȯiz,
ˈav-ərd-ə-ˌpȯiz
1
2
: the fact or quality of being heavy : weight
Etymology

Noun

Middle English avoir de pois "goods sold by weight," from early French, literally "goods of weight"

Medical Definition

avoirdupois

adjective
av·​oir·​du·​pois ˌav-ərd-ə-ˈpȯiz, -ˈpwä How to pronounce avoirdupois (audio)
: expressed in avoirdupois weight
avoirdupois units
5 ounces avoirdupois
2 avoirdupois ounces

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