pound

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpau̇nd 

plural pounds also pound

1

: 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

2

a

: the basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

b

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

c

: the basic monetary unit of Ireland from 1921 to 2001

d

: lira entry 2

e

: the basic monetary unit of Cyprus from 1960 to 2008

pound

2 of 4

noun (2)

1

a

: an enclosure for animals

especially : a public enclosure for stray or unlicensed animals

a dog pound

b

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

a car pound

2

: a place or condition of confinement

3

: 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

1

: to reduce to powder or pulp by beating

2

a

: to strike heavily or repeatedly

b

: to produce with or as if with repeated vigorous strokes

—usually used with out

pound out a story on the typewriter

c

: to inculcate by insistent repetition : drive

day after day the facts were pounded home to them

—Ivy B. Priest

d

: to move, throw, or carry forcefully and aggressively

pound the ball down the field

3

: to move along heavily or persistently

pounded the pavement looking for work

4

: to drink or consume rapidly : slug

pound down some beers

intransitive verb

1

: to strike heavy repeated blows

2

: pulsate, throb

my heart was pounding

3

a

: to move with or make a heavy repetitive sound

b

: to work hard and continuously

—usually used with away

pound

4 of 4

noun (3)

: an act or sound of pounding

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• cage
• coop
• corral
• hutch
• pen

Verb

• barge
• clump
• flog [British]
• flounder
• galumph
• lumber
• lump
• plod
• scuff
• scuffle
• shamble
• shuffle
• slog
• slough
• stamp
• stomp
• stumble
• stump
• tramp
• tromp
• trudge

Noun (3)

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of pound in a Sentence

Noun (2)

stray dogs wearing tags are kept in that pound until their owners can be notified

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.

Noun (3)

give the nail a final pound with the hammer

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Gray whales are large whales, up to 49 feet long and weighing about 90,000 pounds. —Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024

At least one group estimates that Arizona could support up to 150 of the big cats, which can weigh up to 300 pounds. —Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 9 May 2024

The dog, who then weighed just 3.2 pounds, would walk a few steps and fall over like a drunk sailor. —Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 9 May 2024

That contact was at about 3:40 p.m. on the 3400 block of N. 44th St. Police described Aurora as a Hispanic woman who is about 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. —David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 9 May 2024

This pumpkin variety stretches wider than tall and weighs 10 to 15 pounds. —Nadia Hassani, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2024

The girl was unconscious and weighed only 50 pounds, according to prosecutors. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024

Black + Decker Mini Box Fan $30 $18 Compact, easily portable, and surprisingly powerful, this small-but-mighty electric mini box fan measures 10.9 by 4.25 by 10.9 inches and weighs under 4 pounds, the perfect size to sit on the windowsill. —Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 8 May 2024

The second was a U.S. military flight stocked with thousands of pounds of humanitarian aid. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2024

Verb

Its defenses against disruptive floods were severely tested in June 2022 when Guangdong was pounded by the heaviest downpours in six decades. —Reuters, NBC News, 22 Apr. 2024

The colliding pulses seemed to coalesce into a fundamental ghost rhythm that was as insistent as any pounding bass. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

The capital city has seen gloomy skies and periods of pounding rain, as well as unseasonable cool temperatures. —Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024

Like in Rhome, which was pounded by hail larger than a golf ball. —James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024

The tornado damaged buildings and downed power lines as rain pounded the town, according to officials. —Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024

Provolone is also acceptable, but please, for the love of Gritty, don’t ask for Swiss. Spot a Celebrity at: Zahav When Jason Kelce isn’t pounding Bud Lights shirtless in celebration of his brother’s playoff win, he’s been known to enjoy a tasteful (and fully clothed) dinner at Zahav. —Regan Stephens, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024

Israeli forces used stun grenades when pounding down doors, and employed artillery, airstrikes and heavy gunfire throughout their operation, according to residents. —Aya Batrawy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024

Winks gave birth early last month on the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 80 as a powerful storm pounded Northern California. —Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing pound

• an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
• foot-pound
• foot-pound-second
• in for a penny, in for a pound
• penny-wise and/but pound-foolish
• pound cake
• pound-foolish
• pound for pound
• 800-pound gorilla
• pound key
• pound mile
• pound net
• pound of flesh
• pound out
• pound sign
• pound the streets/pavement
• the pound

Kids Definition

pound

1 of 4 noun

ˈpau̇nd 

plural pounds also pound

1

: 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

2

a

: the basic unit of money of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

b

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

c

: a coin or bill representing one pound

pound

2 of 4 noun

1

: a public enclosure for stray animals

the dog pound

2

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

pound

3 of 4 verb

1

: to crush to powder or pulp by beating

2

a

: to strike heavily or again and again

pound the piano

b

: to produce by pounding

pound out a tune on the piano

c

: drive entry 1 sense 1b

pound a nail

3

: to move heavily

the horses pounded along the lane

pounder noun

pound

4 of 4 noun

: an act or sound of pounding

Etymology

Noun

Old English pund "pound weight," from Latin pondo (same meaning)

Noun

Old English pund- "an enclosure for animals"

Verb

Old English pūnian "to beat into a powder"

Medical Definition

pound

noun

ˈpau̇nd 

plural pounds also pound

: any of various units of mass and weight: as

a

: 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

b

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

called also avoirdupois pound

Biographical Definition

Pound 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈpau̇nd 

Ezra Loomis 1885–1972 American poet

Poundian

ˈpau̇n-dē-ən 

adjective

Pound

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Roscoe 1870–1964 American jurist