avoirdupois
UK /ˌævədəˈpɔɪz/ · US /ˌævɚdəˈpɔɪz/ noun
Forms avoirdupoises averdupois
- noun (historical) The official system of weights used in the UK between 1856 and 1963. It had been the customary system in London since 1300.
- noun (historical) The official system of weights used in the USA between 1866 and 1959.
- noun (chiefly humorous) Weight; heaviness.
- noun (obsolete) Merchandise.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English avoir de pois, aver de peis, haburdy poyse, haburdepays, haburdepeyse, from Old French aveir + de + peis (“asset of weight”), influenced by Middle French avoir + du + pois; compare French poids (“weight”).
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [OE. aver de peis, goods of weight, where peis is fr. OF. peis weight, F. poids, L. pensum. See Aver, n., and Poise, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “avoirdupois”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details