pound

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpau̇nd

plural pounds also pound

Synonyms of pound next

: any of various units of mass and weight

specifically : a unit now in general use among English-speaking peoples equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces or 7000 grains or 0.4536 kilogram see Weights and Measures Table

: the basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

: any of numerous basic monetary units of other countries (such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria) see Money Table

: the basic monetary unit of Ireland from 1921 to 2001

: lira entry 2

: the basic monetary unit of Cyprus from 1960 to 2008

pound

2 of 4

noun (2)

: an enclosure for animals

especially : a public enclosure for stray or unlicensed animals

a dog pound

: a depot for holding impounded personal property until redeemed by the owner

a car pound

: a place or condition of confinement

: an enclosure within which fish are kept or caught

especially : the inner compartment of a fish trap or pound net

pound

3 of 4

verb

pounded; pounding; pounds

transitive verb

: to reduce to powder or pulp by beating

: to strike heavily or repeatedly

: to produce with or as if with repeated vigorous strokes

—usually used with out

pound out a story on the typewriter

: to inculcate by insistent repetition : drive

day after day the facts were pounded home to them—

Ivy B. Priest

: to move, throw, or carry forcefully and aggressively

pound the ball down the field

: to move along heavily or persistently

pounded the pavement looking for work

: to drink or consume rapidly : slug

pound down some beers

intransitive verb

: to strike heavy repeated blows

: pulsate, throb

my heart was pounding

: to move with or make a heavy repetitive sound

: to work hard and continuously

—usually used with away

pound

4 of 4

Example Sentences

Verb Heavy waves pounded the shore. The metal is heated and then pounded into shape. He got frustrated and started to pound the piano keys. He pounded his fist on the table. The boxers were really pounding each other. Waves pounded against the side of the boat. The wheat is pounded into flour. Pound the herbs and garlic until they form a paste. He came pounding down the stairs. The horses pounded up the track. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

However, these synthetic pound-sterling, yen, and U.S. dollar LIBORs are expected to be published only for a limited period. —

Carrie Brandon Elliott, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023 The British' pound's value plummeted to near parity with the U.S. dollar when Kwarteng first announced Truss's tax cut plan in late September. —

Greg Wehner, Fox News, 6 Feb. 2023 Overall, our tester says this bag is made for fast and light excursions, often to the top of a mountain where every pound counts. —

Saryn Chorney, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2023 Lucid is highlighting the high power density of the EDU (6.7 hp per pound) in a unit that weighs just over 70 pounds and can spin up to 19,500 rpm. —

Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 30 Jan. 2023 As costs rose, Egypt’s pound plunged, falling from about 16 to the dollar a year ago to almost 30 now. —

Vivian Yee, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2023 The mirror comes with a 10-pound barbell, two five-pound dumbbells bars, and four two-and-a-half-pound weight plates, that can all be stored on the back. —

Amy Schlinger, Men's Health, 20 Jan. 2023 The euro and pound appreciated against the U.S. currency, sending the WSJ Dollar Index down 0.6%. —

Joe Wallace, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2023 Each pound of tomatoes grown in the Netherlands uses a half-gallon of water, while the global average is more than 28 gallons. —

Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2023

Verb

After the fourth-and-goal weird call for a Philly Special, certainly Michigan would pound the ball into the end zone. —

Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, 31 Dec. 2022 Note that the taper of the extractor can expand the screw or bolt, so don’t pound the extractor into the hole. —

Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 28 Nov. 2022 The Spartans also pound the ball, but use running backs Cole Gamble (222 yards, 5 TDs last week), Will Waldrop and Jack King to do most of their damage. —

Dennis Victory, al, 18 Oct. 2022 As is becoming typical of today's EVs, both pound the pavement with heavy curb weights. —

Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 13 Oct. 2022 Reliant on slow moving artillery, Russia could only pound Ukraine’s defenses and then edge slowly forward in the Donbas. —

Marc Champion, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2022 At the same time, a historic April blizzard will pound the northern Rockies and northern Plains on Tuesday through Thursday. —

NBC News, 12 Apr. 2022 While waiting for the water to boil, in a mortar with a pestle, pound the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon until roughly ground. —

Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2021 Some of Mexico's best waves pound the breezy Baja Peninsula, but waters are quite nippy here in the winter months. —

Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pound.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English pund, from Latin pondo pound, from ablative of pondus weight — more at pendant

Noun (2)

Middle English, enclosure, from Old English pund-

Verb

alteration of Middle English pounen, from Old English pūnian

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of pound was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pound. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

pound

1 of 4 noun

ˈpau̇nd

plural pounds also pound

: any of various units of mass and weight

especially : a unit in general use among English-speaking peoples equal to 16 ounces (about 0.454 kilograms) see measure

: the basic unit of money of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

: any of several basic units of money (as of Egypt, Lebanon, or Syria)

: a coin or bill representing one pound

pound

2 of 4 noun

: a public enclosure for stray animals

the dog pound

: an enclosure within which fish or shellfish are caught or stored

pound

3 of 4 verb

: to crush to powder or pulp by beating

: to strike heavily or again and again

pound the piano

: to produce by pounding

pound out a tune on the piano

: drive entry 1 sense 1b

pound a nail

: to move heavily

the horses pounded along the lane

pounder noun

pound

4 of 4 noun

: an act or sound of pounding

Medical Definition

pound

noun

ˈpau̇nd

plural pounds also pound

: any of various units of mass and weight: as

: a unit of troy weight equal to 12 troy ounces or 5760 grains or 0.3732417216 kilogram formerly used in weighing gold, silver, and a few other costly materials

called also troy pound

: a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces or 7000 grains or 0.45359237 kilogram

called also avoirdupois pound