steelyard

[ steel-yahrd, stil-yerd ]
/ ˈstilˌyɑrd, ˈstɪl yərd /

noun

a portable balance with two unequal arms, the longer one having a movable counterpoise and the shorter one bearing a hook or the like for holding the object to be weighed.

Origin of steelyard

First recorded in 1630–40; steel + yard1

Words nearby steelyard

Example sentences from the Web for steelyard

British Dictionary definitions for steelyard

steelyard
/ (ˈstiːlˌjɑːd) /

noun

a portable balance consisting of a pivoted bar with two unequal arms. The load is suspended from the shorter one and the bar is returned to the horizontal by adding weights to the longer one

Word Origin for steelyard

C17: from steel + yard 1 (in the archaic sense: a rod or pole)