avoirdupois
[ av-er-duh-poiz ]
/ ˌæv ər dəˈpɔɪz /
noun
Informal.
bodily weight: He carries around a lot of excess avoirdupois.
Origin of avoirdupois
1250–1300; Middle English
avoir de pois literally, property of weight < Old French, equivalent to
avoir (earlier
aveir < Latin
habēre to have) +
de (< Latin
dē) +
pois (earlier
peis < Latin
pēnsum)
Words nearby avoirdupois
avoidance,
avoidance play,
avoidant,
avoidant personality,
avoir.,
avoirdupois,
avoirdupois weight,
avon,
avon lake,
avouch,
avow
Example sentences from the Web for avoirdupois
British Dictionary definitions for avoirdupois
avoirdupois
avoirdupois weight
/ (ˌævədəˈpɔɪz, ˌævwɑːdjuːˈpwɑː) /
noun
a system of weights used in many English-speaking countries. It is based on the pound, which contains 16 ounces or 7000 grains. 100 pounds (US) or 112 pounds (Brit) is equal to 1 hundredweight and 20 hundredweights equals 1 ton
Abbreviation: avdp, avoir
Word Origin for avoirdupois
C14: from Old French
aver de peis goods of weight
Medical definitions for avoirdupois
avoirdupois
[ ăv′ər-də-poiz′ ]
n.
Avoirdupois weight.