pound

[ pound ]

/ paʊnd /

verb (used with object)

to strike repeatedly with great force, as with an instrument, the fist, heavy missiles, etc.

to produce or effect by striking or thumping, or in a manner resembling this (often followed by out): to pound out a tune on the piano.

to force (a way) by battering; batter (often followed by down): He pounded his way through the mob. He pounded the door down.

to crush into a powder or paste by beating repeatedly.

verb (used without object)

to strike heavy blows repeatedly: to pound on a door.

to beat or throb violently, as the heart.

to give forth a thumping sound: The drums pounded loudly.

to walk or go with heavy steps; move along with force or vigor.

noun

the act of pounding.

a heavy or forcible blow.

a thump.

Origin of pound

before 1000; Middle English pounen, Old English pūnian; akin to Dutch puin rubbish

synonym study for pound

1. See beat.

OTHER WORDS FROM pound

pound·er, noun

Words nearby pound

poultice, poultry, poultryman, pounce, pouncet box, pound, pound cake, pound cost averaging, pound key, pound net, pound of flesh

Definition for pound (2 of 4)

pound ²

[ pound ]

/ paʊnd /

noun, plural pounds, (collectively) pound.

a unit of weight and of mass, varying in different periods and countries.

(in English-speaking countries) an avoirdupois unit of weight equal to 7000 grains, divided into 16 ounces (0.453 kg), used for ordinary commerce. Abbreviation: lb., lb. av.
a troy unit of weight, in the U.S. and formerly in Britain, equal to 5760 grains, divided into 12 ounces (0.373 kg), used for gold, silver, and other precious metals. Abbreviation: lb. t.
(in the U.S.) an apothecaries' unit of weight equal to 5760 grains, divided into 12 ounces (0.373 kg). Abbreviation: lb. ap.

Also called pound sterling. a paper money, nickel-brass coin, and monetary unit of the United Kingdom formerly equal to 20 shillings or 240 pence: equal to 100 new pence after decimalization in Feb. 1971. Abbreviation: L; Symbol: £

any of the monetary units of various countries, as Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, and of certain Commonwealth of Nations countries.

a monetary unit of Ireland until the euro was adopted, equal to 100 pence.

a monetary unit of Cyprus until the euro was adopted, equal to 100 cents.

Also called pound Scots. a former Scottish money of account, originally equal to the pound sterling but equal to only a twelfth of the pound sterling at the union of the crowns of England and Scotland in 1603.

(formerly) the Turkish lira.

a former monetary unit of Israel, Libya, and Nigeria.

pounds, Citizens Band Radio Slang. a meter reading in units of five decibels: used as a measure of loudness for incoming signals.

Origin of pound

before 900; Middle English; Old English pund (cognate with Dutch pond, German Pfund, Gothic, Old Norse pund) ≪ Latin pondō pound (indeclinable noun), orig. ablative of pondus weight (see ponder) in the phrase libra pondō a pound by weight; see libra¹

Definition for pound (3 of 4)

pound ³

[ pound ]

/ paʊnd /

noun

an enclosure maintained by public authorities for confining stray or homeless animals.

an enclosure for sheltering, keeping, confining, or trapping animals.

an enclosure or trap for fish.

a place of confinement or imprisonment.

a place or area where cars or other vehicles are impounded, as those towed away for being illegally parked.

reach(def 26).

verb (used with object)

Archaic. to shut up in or as in a pound; impound; imprison.

Origin of pound

1350–1400; Middle English poond; compare late Old English pund- in pundfald pinfold; akin to pond

Definition for pound (4 of 4)

Pound

[ pound ]

/ paʊnd /

noun

Ezra Loo·mis

[loo-mis] /ˈlu mɪs/,1885–1972, U.S. poet.

Louise,1872–1958, U.S. scholar and linguist.

her brotherRoscoe,1870–1964, U.S. legal scholar and writer.

Example sentences from the Web for pound

The news reports of the speech quoted that line, so it became the pound cake speech.

A Full-Length Bill Cosby Portrait: From Track Star to Ugly Sweaters |Scott Porch |September 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Today, ivory prices are at record highs, having tripled since that 2008 auction, up to around $1,500 a pound.

A World Without Elephants? Blame China |Michael Tomasky |August 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Or that, lacking alarm clocks, people hired watchmen to come to their house in the morning and pound on the door to wake them up?

Great Cities are Born Filthy |Will Doig |July 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The price of ivory continued to rise, and a pound of ivory now costs up to $1,500.

China’s Blood Ivory Bazaar |Brendon Hong |June 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

It is sold by the pound, cut to order, and presented not on a plate but on a sheet of butcher paper.

The Texas Church of Beef |Jane & Michael Stern |April 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Put a pound of loaf sugar into the pan which receives the juice, and let it remain until the sugar is dissolved.

The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory; |Charlotte Campbell Bury
Suddenly, the mountain boy's heart began to pound in a strange way.

The Code of the Mountains |Charles Neville Buck
Pare and cut up the peaches in small pieces, and to a pound of fruit add a pound of sugar.

The National Cook Book, 9th ed. |Hannah Mary Peterson
The earliest and standard specimen of Roman coinage was the as, subdivided almost indefinitely, and originally weighing a pound.

The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No. 6, December 1864 |Various
Pound smooth all these, and bottle it in, well corked, and use as above.

The Curry Cook's Assistant |Daniel Santiagoe

British Dictionary definitions for pound (1 of 4)

pound ¹

/ (paʊnd) /

verb

(when intr, often foll by on or at) to strike heavily and often

(tr) to beat to a pulp; pulverize

(tr) to instil by constant drilling to pound Latin into him

(tr foll by out) to produce, as by typing heavily

to walk (the pavement, street, etc) repeatedly he pounded the pavement looking for a job

(intr) to throb heavily

noun

a heavy blow; thump

the act of pounding

Derived forms of pound

pounder, noun

Word Origin for pound

Old English pūnian; related to Dutch puin rubble

British Dictionary definitions for pound (2 of 4)

pound ²

/ (paʊnd) /

noun

an enclosure, esp one maintained by a public authority, for keeping officially removed vehicles or distrained goods or animals, esp stray dogs

a place where people are confined

a trap for animals
a trap or keepnet for fishSee pound net

verb

(tr) to confine in or as if in a pound; impound, imprison, or restrain

Word Origin for pound

C14: from Late Old English pund- as in pundfeald pinfold

British Dictionary definitions for pound (3 of 4)

pound ³

/ (paʊnd) /

noun

an avoirdupois unit of weight that is divided into 16 ounces and is equal to 0.453 592 kilograms Abbreviation: lb

a troy unit of weight divided into 12 ounces equal to 0.373 242 kilograms Abbreviation: lb tr, lb t

an apothecaries' unit of weight, used in the US, that is divided into 5760 grains and is equal to one pound troy

(not in technical usage) a unit of force equal to the mass of 1 pound avoirdupois where the acceleration of free fall is 32.174 feet per second per second Abbreviation: lbf

the standard monetary unit of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and various UK overseas territories, divided into 100 penceOfficial name: pound sterling
(as modifier)a pound coin

(the standard monetary unit of the following countries)

Cyprus: divided into 100 cents
Egypt: divided into 100 piastres
Lebanon: divided into 100 piastres
South Sudan: divided into 100 piastres
Syria: divided into 100 piastres

another name for lira (def. 2)

Also called: pound Scots a former Scottish monetary unit originally worth an English pound but later declining in value to 1 shilling 8 pence

Also called: punt the former standard monetary unit of the Republic of Ireland, divided into 100 pence; replaced by the euro in 2002

a former monetary unit of the Sudan replaced by the dinar in 1992

Word Origin for pound

Old English pund, from Latin pondō pound; related to German Pfund pound, Latin pondus weight

British Dictionary definitions for pound (4 of 4)

Pound

/ (paʊnd) /

noun

Ezra (Loomis). 1885–1972, US poet, translator, and critic, living in Europe. Indicted for treason by the US government (1945) for pro-Fascist broadcasts during World War II, he was committed to a mental hospital until 1958. He was a founder of imagism and championed the early work of such writers as T. S. Eliot, Joyce, and Hemingway. His life work, the Cantos (1925–70), is an unfinished sequence of poems, which incorporates mythological and historical materials in several languages as well as political, economic, and autobiographical elements

Medical definitions for pound

pound

[ pound ]

n.

A unit of weight that is the basis of the avoirdupois system, equal to 16 ounces or 453.592 grams.

A unit of apothecary weight equal to 12 ounces or 373.242 grams.

Scientific definitions for pound

pound

[ pound ]

A unit of weight in the US Customary System equal to 16 ounces (0.45 kilograms). See Table at measurement. See Note at weight.

Idioms and Phrases with pound

pound

In addition to the idioms beginning with pound

pound of flesh
pound out
pound the pavement

also see:

in for a penny, in for a pound
penny wise, pound foolish

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pound

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of pound

synonym study for pound

OTHER WORDS FROM pound

Words nearby pound

Definition for pound (2 of 4)

noun, plural pounds, (collectively) pound.

Origin of pound

Definition for pound (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of pound

Definition for pound (4 of 4)

noun

Example sentences from the Web for pound

British Dictionary definitions for pound (1 of 4)

verb

noun

Derived forms of pound

Word Origin for pound

British Dictionary definitions for pound (2 of 4)

noun

verb

Word Origin for pound

British Dictionary definitions for pound (3 of 4)

noun

Word Origin for pound

British Dictionary definitions for pound (4 of 4)

noun

Medical definitions for pound

n.

Scientific definitions for pound

Idioms and Phrases with pound

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

pound

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of pound

synonym study for pound

OTHER WORDS FROM pound

Words nearby pound

Definition for pound (2 of 4)

noun, plural pounds, (collectively) pound.

Origin of pound

Definition for pound (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of pound

Definition for pound (4 of 4)

noun

Words related to pound

Example sentences from the Web for pound

British Dictionary definitions for pound (1 of 4)

verb

noun

Derived forms of pound

Word Origin for pound

British Dictionary definitions for pound (2 of 4)

noun

verb

Word Origin for pound

British Dictionary definitions for pound (3 of 4)

noun

Word Origin for pound

British Dictionary definitions for pound (4 of 4)

noun

Medical definitions for pound

n.

Scientific definitions for pound

Idioms and Phrases with pound