a British and American system of weights based on a pound of 16 ounces
avoirdupois weight in American English
noun
the system of weights in British and U.S. use for goods other than gems, precious metals, and drugs: 2711⁄32 grains = 1 dram; 16 drams = 1 ounce; 16 ounces = 1 pound; 112 pounds (Brit.) or 100 pounds (U.S.) = 1 hundredweight; 20 hundredweight = 1 ton. The pound contains 7000 grains
Abbreviation: av., avdp., avoir
Word origin
[1610–20]This word is first recorded in the period 1610–20. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: camber, cultivate, integration, telescope, vibrate
Examples of 'avoirdupois weight' in a sentence
avoirdupois weight
Nutmeg grated, a quarter of an ounce, avoirdupois weight.
William Kitchiner The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual (1830). Retrieved in 2019 from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/)
Celery-seed bruised, half an ounce, avoirdupois weight.
William Kitchiner The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual (1830). Retrieved in 2019 from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/)