Word origin of pounds

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Countries where a unit of the national currency is «pound» (dark blue) or «lira» (light blue).

Pound is the name of various units of currency. It is used in some countries today and previously was used in many others. The English word «pound» derives from the Latin expression lībra pondō, in which lībra is a noun meaning ‘pound’ and pondō is an adverb meaning ‘by weight’.^[1][2] The currency’s symbol is ‘£‘, a stylised form of the blackletter ‘L’ () (from libra), crossed to indicate abbreviation.^[3]

The term was adopted in England from the weight^[a] of silver used to make to 240 pennies,^[6] and eventually spread to British colonies all over the world. While silver pennies were produced seven centuries earlier, the first pound coin was minted under Henry VII in 1489.^[5]

Countries and territories currently using currency units named «pound»[edit]

Country/territory	Currency	ISO 4217 code	Tied to sterling?
Egypt	Egyptian pound	EGP	No
Falkland Islands	Falkland Islands pound	FKP	Yes
Gibraltar	Gibraltar pound	GIP	Yes
Guernsey	Guernsey pound	GBP	Yes
Isle of Man	Manx pound	GBP	Yes
Jersey	Jersey pound	GBP	Yes
Lebanon	Lebanese pound	LBP	No
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	Saint Helena pound	SHP	Yes
South Sudan	South Sudanese pound	SSP	No
Sudan	Sudanese pound	SDG	No
Syria	Syrian pound	SYP	No
United Kingdom	Sterling[b]	GBP	N/A
British Antarctic Territory[8]
British Indian Ocean Territory[9]
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands[10]

Historical currencies[edit]

• Australian pound (until 1966, replaced by the Australian dollar). The Australian pound was also used in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Nauru, New Hebrides and Papua and New Guinea. It was replaced in the New Hebrides/Vanuatu in 1981 by the Vanuatu vatu.
• Bahamian pound (until 1966, replaced by the Bahamian dollar)
• Bermudian pound (until 1970, replaced by the Bermudian dollar)
• Biafran pound (1968 to 1970, replaced by the Nigerian pound)
• British West African pound
  • in British Cameroon replaced by the CFA franc in 1961
  • in Gambia, replaced by the Gambian pound in 1968
  • in Ghana, replaced by the Ghanaian pound in 1958
  • in Liberia, replaced by the U.S. dollar in 1943
  • in Nigeria, replaced by the Nigerian pound in 1958
  • in Sierra Leone, replaced by the leone in 1964
• Canadian pound (until 1859, replaced by the Canadian dollar)
• Cypriot pound (Cyprus and Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, until 1 January 2008, replaced by the euro)
• Fijian pound (until 1969, replaced by the Fijian dollar)
• Gambian pound (1968 to 1971, replaced by the dalasi)
• Ghanaian pound (1958 to 1965, replaced by the cedi)
• Irish pound (Irish: Punt na hÉireann) (until 2002, replaced by the euro)
• Israeli pound, also known as the Israeli lira (until 1980, replaced by the sheqel)
• Jamaican pound (until 1968, replaced by the Jamaican dollar). The Jamaican pound was also used in Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands until 1968.
• Jordanian pound; see Palestine pound, below.
• Libyan pound (until 1971, replaced by the Libyan dinar)
• Malawian pound (1964 to 1970, replaced by the Malawian kwacha)
• Maltese pound (also known as the Maltese lira and replaced by the euro on 1 January 2008)
• New Brunswick pound (until 1860, replaced by the New Brunswick dollar)
• Newfoundland pound (until 1865, replaced by the Newfoundland dollar)
• New Guinean pound
• New Zealand pound (until 1967, replaced by the New Zealand dollar). The New Zealand pound was also used in the Cook Islands and the Pitcairn Islands.
• Nigerian pound (1958 to 1973, replaced by the naira)
• Nova Scotian pound (until 1860, replaced by the Nova Scotian dollar)
• Oceanian pound (1942-1945 under Japanese occupation of Kiribati, Nauru, New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu)
• Palestine pound (replaced by the Israeli pound; also served as Jordanian pound, replaced in Jordan by the Jordanian dinar)
• Pound Scots of Scotland (until 1707 union with England)
• Prince Edward Island pound (until 1871, replaced by the Prince Edward Island dollar)
• Rhodesian pound (1964 until 1970 in Rhodesia, replaced by the Rhodesian dollar)
• Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound (1955-1964, replaced in Southern Rhodesia renamed Rhodesia by the Rhodesian pound, in Northern Rhodesia renamed Zambia by the Zambian pound, and in Nyasaland renamed Malawi by the Malawian pound)
• Samoan pound (1914–1920 provisional issue by the New Zealand Government military administration. 1920–1959 by the New Zealand Government administration (Treasury notes). 1960–1963 by the Bank of Western Samoa. Replaced 1967 by the tala ($).)
• Scottish pound: see Pound Scots, above.
• Solomon Islands pound (1916-1932, replaced by the Australian pound)
• South African pound (until 1961, replaced by South African rand). The South African pound was also used in Basutoland, Bechuanaland, South West Africa and Swaziland.
• South African Republic pond (refers to the republic in Transvaal, issued 1867–1902, replaced by the South African pound)
• South West African pound (1930s to 1961, replaced by South African rand)
• Southern Rhodesian pound (1896-1955, circulated also in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland; replaced by Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound)
• Sudanese pound (until 1992 and since January 2007)
• Tongan pound (1921–1966 Government of Tonga Treasury notes. 1967 replaced by the pa’anga ($))
• Transvaal pound (see above, South African Republic pond)
• West Indian pound (until 1949, replaced by East Caribbean dollar)
• Western Samoan pound (1920-1967, replaced by Samoan tala)
• Zambian pound (1964 to 1968, replaced by the Zambian kwacha)

Currencies of the former British colonies in America[edit]

All of the following currencies have been replaced by the US dollar.

• Connecticut pound (Connecticut)
• Delaware pound (Delaware)
• Georgia pound (Georgia)
• Maryland pound (Maryland)
• Massachusetts pound (Massachusetts)
• New Hampshire pound (New Hampshire)
• New Jersey pound (New Jersey)
• New York pound (New York)
• North Carolina pound (North Carolina)
• Pennsylvania pound (Pennsylvania)
• Rhode Island pound (Rhode Island)
• South Carolina pound (South Carolina)
• Virginia pound (Virginia)

See also[edit]

• Green pound, used within the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy until 1999
• Carolingian pound (Latin: libra), a unit of weight and coinage, ancestor of German: pfund, French: livre, Spanish: peso, Lira (Italian: lira, Turkish: lira) as well as the English word pound
  • Libra (weight), an ancient Roman unit of weight, basis for the Carolingian pound
• Local exchange trading system: many British LETS use(d) the term «pound»
  • Bristol pound, a LETS unit

Notes[edit]

1. ^ The Pound (mass) in question was a Tower pound (5,400 grains, 349.9 grams (11.25 troy ounces), about 0.77 avoirdupois pounds, also called the ‘Moneyers’ Pound’ (referring to the Saxon moneyers before the Conquest).^[4] «In practice they» [the silver pennies] «varied considerably in weight and 240 of them seldom added up to a pound».^[5]
2. ^ The correct name for the currency is «sterling» and the «pound» is its primary unit. When necessary to distinguish sterling from other pounds, the qualified names «pound sterling» or «British pound» are used, especially in international trade contexts, where those names are used even when disambiguation is not needed.^[7] This qualified form is almost never encountered in the United Kingdom, except in banking.

References[edit]

1. ^ Harper, Douglas. «Libra (n.)». Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022.
2. ^ Harper, Douglas. «pound (n.1)». Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
3. ^ «The Origins of £sd». The Royal Mint Museum. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020.
4. ^ «Tower pound». Sizes.com. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
5. ^ ^{a b} Lowther, Ed (14 February 2014). «A short history of the pound». BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014.
6. ^ «Pound sterling». Britannica. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2021. Silver coins known as «sterlings» were issued in the Saxon kingdoms, 240 of them being minted from a pound of silver… Hence, large payments came to be reckoned in «pounds of sterlings», a phrase later shortened…
7. ^ Moles, Peter; Terry, Nicholas (1999). The Handbook of International Financial Terms. ISBN 9780198294818. Sterling (UK).: The name given to the currency of the United Kingdom (cf. cable). Also called pound sterling or pounds.
8. ^ «Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profiles: British Antarctic Territory». Archived from the original on 2003-09-02.
9. ^ «Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profiles: British Indian Ocean Territory». Archived from the original on October 16, 2007.
10. ^ «Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profiles: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands».

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /paʊnd/
• Rhymes: -aʊnd

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English pound, from Old English pund (“a pound, weight”), from Proto-Germanic *pundą (“pound, weight”), an early borrowing from Latin pondō (“by weight”), ablative form of pondus (“weight”), from Proto-Indo-European *pend-, *spend- (“to pull, stretch”). Cognate with Dutch pond, German Pfund, Danish pund and Swedish pund. Doublet of pood.

Noun[edit]

pound (plural pounds or (UK colloquial) pound)

1. A unit of weight in various measurement systems
   1. Ellipsis of pound weight.
   2. The translated name of various non-English units of measure
2. A unit of mass in various measurement systems
   1. Ellipsis of pound mass.
   2. The translated name of various non-English units of measure
   3. A unit of mass equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces (= 453.592 g). Today this value is the most common meaning of «pound» as a unit of weight.

      • 2010 July 28, Rachel Williams, “Mothers who lose weight before further pregnancy ‘reduce risks’”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

        Research shows that retaining even one or two pounds after giving birth can make problems more likely in a subsequent pregnancy, experts said, with women who have several children facing a «slippery slope» if they continue to gain weight each time.

      Synonym: lb

   4. A unit of mass equal to 12 troy ounces (≈ 373.242 g). Today, this is a common unit of mass when measuring precious metals, and is little used elsewhere.

      Synonym: lb t

3. A unit of force in various measurement systems
   1. Ellipsis of pound force.
   2. The translated name of various non-English units of measure
   3. (informal, non-scientific) Short for pound-force.
4. A unit of currency in various currency systems
   1. The translated name of various non-English units of currency
   2. The unit of currency used in the United Kingdom and its dependencies. It is divided into 100 pence. Symbol £.

      • 2012 November 11, Carole Cadwalladr, “Do online courses spell the end for the traditional university?”, in Observer‎^[2]:

        For students in developing countries who can’t get it any other way, or for students in the first world, who can but may choose not to. Pay thousands of pounds a year for your education? Or get it free online?

      • 1860, George Eliot, chapter 6, in The Mill on the Floss, book 5:

        «Only a hundred and ninety-three pound,» said Mr. Tulliver. «You’ve brought less o’ late; but young fellows like to have their own way with their money. Though I didn’t do as I liked before I was of age.» He spoke with rather timid discontent.

      Synonyms: pound sterling, (abbreviation) GBP, (slang) quid, (slang) nicker

   3. Any of various units of currency used in Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan and Syria, and formerly in the Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and Israel.

      • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[[Episode 4]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

        He glanced back through what he had read and, while feeling his water flow quietly, he envied kindly Mr Beaufoy who had written it and received payment of three pounds, thirteen and six.

      Synonym: punt

   4. Any of various units of currency formerly used in the United States.

      the Rhode Island pound; the New Hampshire pound

      • 2010, Steven Field, Dusty’s Fort, →ISBN, page 33:

        He knocked out cans of warm cola at two pound fifty a time.

5. (US) The symbol # (octothorpe, hash, number sign)

   Synonyms: hash, sharp, number sign, octothorpe, pound sign

Usage notes[edit]

• Internationally, the «pound» has most commonly referred to the UK pound, £, (pound sterling). The other currencies were usually distinguished in some way, e.g., the «Irish pound» or the «punt».
• In the vicinity of each other country calling its currency the pound among English speakers the local currency would be the «pound», with all others distinguished, e.g., the «British pound», the «Egyptian pound» etc.
• The general plural of «pound» has usually been «pounds» (at least since Chaucer), but the continuing use of the Old English genitive or neuter «pound» as the plural after numerals (for both currency and weight) is common in some regions. It can be considered correct, or colloquial, depending on region.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

pound (third-person singular simple present pounds, present participle pounding, simple past and past participle pounded)

1. (slang, dated, transitive) To wager a pound on.

   • 1854, Dickens, chapter 4, in Hard Times:

     Good-bye, my dear!’ said Sleary. ‘You’ll make your fortun, I hope, and none of our poor folkth will ever trouble you, I’ll pound it.

See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English pounde, ponde, pund, from Old English pund (“an enclosure”), related to Old English pyndan (“to enclose, shut up, dam, impound”). Compare also Old English pynd (“a cistern, lake”).

Noun[edit]

pound (plural pounds)

1. A place for the detention of stray or wandering animals.

   Synonym: animal shelter

   Hyponym: dog pound

   • 1997 February 24, N. R. Kleinfield, “Robert Sarnoff, 78, RCA Chairman, Dies”, in The New York Times‎^[3], →ISSN:

     Mr. Sarnoff also sent to the pound one of the best-known dogs in the world. Nipper, the black-and-white terrier usually depicted peering with head cocked into the horn of a Victrola, listening for “His Master’s Voice,” was de-emphasized as a corporate symbol.

2. (metonymically) The people who work for the pound.

   • 2002, 25th Hour, 00:27:30 from the start:

     (Police officer to a dog owner) «He’d better stay calm or I’ll have the pound come and get him.»

3. (UK) A place for the detention of automobiles that have been illegally parked, abandoned, etc.

   Synonym: impound

   Synonyms: (UK) car pound, (US) impound lot, (US) impound

   • 1984, Beverly Hills Cop, Paramount Pictures:

     Inspector Douglas Todd: Where did you get a truckload of cigarettes from anyway? / Detective Axel Foley: From the Dearborn Hijacking. / Todd: The Dearborn Hijacking? That bust went down weeks ago. That load’s supposed to be in the damn pound!

4. A section of a canal between two adjacent locks.

   Synonym: reach

5. A kind of fishing net, having a large enclosure with a narrow entrance into which fish are directed by wings spreading outward.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients:

     Then there came a reg’lar terror of a sou’wester same as you don’t get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider’ble money getting ’em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.

6. (Newfoundland) a division inside a fishing stage where cod is cured in salt brine

   Synonym: bulk

Usage notes[edit]

• Manx English uses this word uncountably.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

pound (third-person singular simple present pounds, present participle pounding, simple past and past participle pounded)

1. To confine in, or as in, a pound; to impound.
   • c. 1620, anonymous, “Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song” in Giles Earle his Booke (British Museum, Additional MSS. 24, 665):

     When I short haue shorne my sowce face
     & swigg’d my horny barrell,
     In an oaken Inne I pound my skin
     as a suite of guilt apparrell

   • 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; A speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England:

     And he who were pleasantly disposed, could not well avoid to liken it to the exploit of that gallant man, who thought to pound up the crows by shutting his park gate.

Etymology 3[edit]

From an alteration of earlier poun, pown, from Middle English pounen, from Old English pūnian (“to pound, beat, bray, bruise, crush”), from Proto-West Germanic *pūn- (“broken pieces, rubble”). Related to Saterland Frisian Pün (“debris, fragments”), West Frisian pún (“debris, rubble”), Dutch puin (“debris, fragments, rubbish”), Low German pun (“fragments”).

Alternative forms[edit]

• poun, pown (obsolete or dialectal)

Verb[edit]

pound (third-person singular simple present pounds, present participle pounding, simple past and past participle pounded)

1. (transitive) To strike hard, usually repeatedly.

   Synonyms: hammer, pelt; see also Thesaurus:hit

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 12, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients:

     She had Lord James’ collar in one big fist and she pounded the table with the other and talked a blue streak. Nobody could make out plain what she said, for she was mainly jabbering Swede lingo, but there was English enough, of a kind, to give us some idee.

   • 1960 December, “Talking of Trains: The railways and the Devon floods”, in Trains Illustrated, page 709:

     […] and on the Saturday heavy seas pounded the W.R. on its exposed coastal stretch between Dawlish and Teignmouth, loosening the ballast and forcing trains to proceed with extreme caution.

   • 1964, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “Motorpsycho Nitemare”:

     I pounded on a farmhouse / Lookin’ for a place to stay / I was mighty, mighty tired / I had come a long, long way

2. (transitive) To crush to pieces; to pulverize.

   Synonyms: pulverate, triturate

   • 1887, Indian Cookery «Local» for Young Housekeepers: Second Edition (page 67)

     Pound an onion, warm a spoonful of ghee and throw in the onion, brown it slightly, add your curry stuff, brown this till it smells pleasantly, […]

   • 1976, Alex Haley, chapter 1, in Roots: The Saga of an American Family:

     It was the hour before the first crowing of the cocks, and along with Nyo Boto and Grandma Yaisa’s clattering, the first sound the child heard was the muted, rhythmic bombpabombpabomp of wooden pestles as the other women of the village pounded couscous grain in their mortars, preparing the traditional breakfast of porridge that was cooked in earthen pots over a fire built among three rocks.

3. (transitive, slang) To eat or drink very quickly.

   Synonyms: bolt, down, chug; see also Thesaurus:eat, Thesaurus:drink

   You really pounded that beer!

   • 2007, “Fire Marshall Willy”, performed by The Dreadnoughts:

     The sounds of a house-party rolled down the street / So we pounded our Pilsner and leapt to our feet

4. (transitive, baseball, slang) To pitch consistently to a certain location.

   The pitcher has been pounding the outside corner all night.

5. (intransitive, of a body part, generally heart, blood, or head) To beat strongly or throb.

   As I tiptoed past the sleeping dog, my heart was pounding but I remained silent.

   My head was pounding.

   • 1936, Ernest Hemingway, The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber:

     It was now about three o’clock in the morning and Francis Macomber, who had been asleep a little while after he had stopped thinking about the lion, wakened and then slept again, woke suddenly, frightened in a dream of the bloody-headed lion standing over him, and listening while his heart pounded, he realized that his wife was not in the other cot in the tent.

6. (transitive, vulgar, slang) To penetrate sexually, with vigour.

   Synonyms: drill, get up in, nail, poke; see also Thesaurus:copulate with

   I was pounding her all night!

   • 2008, Gucci Mane (lyrics and music), “Bachelor Pad”, in The Movie:

     She acting, so I’m attacking, try break the mattress / Sexy, so I suggested to switch to sideways / Pounded for ’bout a hour she said she tired

7. To advance heavily with measured steps.

   • 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I:

     We pounded along, stopped, landed soldiers; went on, landed custom–house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God–forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag–pole lost in it; landed more soldiers—to take care of the custom–house clerks, presumably.

8. (engineering) To make a jarring noise, as when running.

   The engine pounds.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

• bang

Noun[edit]

pound (plural pounds)

1. A hard blow.

   Synonym: pounding

Translations[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• pounde, pund, punde, powund

Etymology[edit]

From Old English pund, in turn from Proto-Germanic *pundą, from Latin pondō.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /puːnd/, /pund/

Noun[edit]

pound (plural poundes or pounden or pound)

1. A measurement for weight, most notably the Tower pound, merchant’s pound or pound avoirdupois, or a weight of said measurement.
2. A pound or other silver coin (including ancient coins), weighing one Tower pound of silver.
3. Money or coinage in general, especially a great amount of it.

Descendants[edit]

• English: pound
• Scots: pund, poond

References[edit]

• “pǒund(e, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-02-22.

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Unadapted borrowing from English pound.

Noun[edit]

pound m (plural pounzi)

1. pound

   Synonym: livră

Declension[edit]

Turkish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Unadapted borrowing from English pound.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /pɑu̯nt/, /pɑu̯nd/
• Rhymes: -ɑu̯nt, -ɑu̯nd

Noun[edit]

pound (definite accusative poundı, plural poundlar)

1. pound

   Synonym: sterlin

Usage notes[edit]

• The declension found below is theoretical, in the sense that as pound isn’t a very common word compared to sterlin, and isn’t considered an «official» word found in the TDK dictionary, its declension remains to be seen.

Declension[edit]

Declension of pound

Недавно мне пришел в голову вопрос: вот есть английская валюта Фунт Стерлингов, ну слово «Фунт», понятно, но что же, в таком случае, «Стерлинг»?  Все оказалось жутко загадочно и интересно.

Этимология Названия Английской валюты.

Фунт сте́рлингов (англ. pound sterling) — денежная единица Великобритании.  Символ £ обязан своим происхождением латинскому слову Libra.

Этимологически слово sterling означает «звездочка»: корень – тот же, что в слове star «звезда»,– плюс уменьшительный суффикс –ling, который встречается и в других словах английского языка, например: youngling «юнец; детеныш»; nurseling «питомец; буквально выкормыш»; fledgeling «птенец»; foundling «найденыш».

Что касается корня, то он обнаруживается не только в английском star «звезда», но и в других германских языках, например, в слове Stern «звезда» немецкого языка. Общий германский корень английского star и немецкого Stern (с расширением -n-) восходит к индоевропейскому корню *ster- с научно восстанавливаемым значением «простереть, простирать; распространять»

В латинском языке от индоевропейского корня *ster- находим существительное stella «звезда» и глагол sternō, strāvī, strātum, sterněrě «распростирать; повергать; стлать.

В английском sterling бывает не только существительным, но и прилагательным, и – переносно – применяться даже к человеку и его проявлениям, например:

sterling fellow ≈ «надежный человек»;

a person of sterling quality ≈ «человек незаурядных качеств»;

a sterling effort ≈ «выдающееся усилие».

Применительно к серебру прилагательное sterling указывает на то, что в его составе на 925 частей серебра приходится 75 частей меди: sterling silver.

Фунт Стерлингов. Теории происхождения названия.

pound sterling традиционно передается в русском как «фунт стерлингов». Почему же, в таком случае, pound передается по-русски через «фунт», а не какое-то более похожее по звуковому составу заимствованное слово? Ответ такой: это – следствие аналогического воздействия давно укорененного к тому моменту времени в русском языке равнозначного германизма «фунт». Он-то и вытеснил ожидавшееся в русском заимствование пунд, поунд или паунд: сейчас трудно сказать, как в точности оно выглядело бы, если бы осуществилось.

Фунт стерлингов используется с ХII века. Некоторые источники считают, что название появилось в XII веке и первоначально означало буквально «фунт чистого серебра». Это связано со «стерлингом» — древней английской серебряной монетой. В 1955 году Оксфордский словарь английского языка предложил версию, согласно которой название стерлинг датируется около 1300 года и происходит от бытового названия серебряного норманского пенни, на котором имелись маленькие звёздочки (на староанглийском: steorling).

Наиболее распространена теория Уолтера Пинчебека (Walter Pinchebek), согласно которой ранее использовалось название «Easterling Silver» (серебро с восточных земель), которое обозначало характерный сплав серебра 925 пробы, из которого изготавливались монеты в северной Германии. Эту область из пяти городов англичане называли «Easterling». Постепенно в речи название сплава сократилось до «Sterling Silver» и стало эквивалентом «монетное серебро».

Деньги в современном английском.

В современном английском языке для обозначения денег Великобритании употребляется слово фунт (англ. pound) например, This car costs 10,000 pounds. Для отличия британской валюты от одноимённых валют других стран в официальных документах используют полную форму фунт стерлингов ( pound sterling). В биржевой практике получило распространение название стерлинг (sterling, например, The dealer bought sterling and sold US dollars). В менее официальных текстах встречается термин «Британский фунт» (англ. British pound).

В разговорной речи используется слово  quid, происхождение которого усматривают в латинской фразе «quid pro quo».  Также в разговорной речи британцы, особенно продавцы, называют свои деньги «стерлингами», sterling. На ценниках встречаются обозначения STG, ster. и stg.

What Is the Abbreviation of Pounds?

Pounds

Noun

The abbreviation of pounds depends on its respective meaning. 

Pound Weight

• lb

Sterling Pound

• £

The word pound, when used as a verb, does not have an abbreviation. 

In Latin and medieval Italian, a pound of mass was referred to as libra pondo or “a pound by weight,” where pondo is an Italian word meaning weight and measures. Because the English word is ultimately descended from the ancient Roman word libra, we get the abbreviation lb. 

Similarly, the pound sign is a letter L with a single line going through.

Technically, the abbreviation lb should never be written as lbs because the plural for libra is librae. Still, people regularly add an s to indicate that the pounds are plural.  

For example:

He weighs 120 lbs. 

What Does the Word Mean?

As a Noun

A pound is a unit of measurement.

For example:

• He weighs 100 pounds.
• The gym offers weights up to 150 lbs.
• I need 2 pounds of sugar.

A pound measures the weight of something. It’s used as a United States customary unit and as part of the imperial system, as opposed to the metric system, which measures weight in grams. The pound is a unit of weight that comes from the ancient Roman unit of measure libra pondo. Libra is also the word for astrological sign, the seventh sign of the zodiac, in the English language.

The pound is equal to 0.45 kilograms, and is sometimes called the avoirdupois pound. On July 1, 1959, six nations, namely the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa, agreed to adopt the yard as a measurement for length. They adopted a pound as a measurement of weight. 

They agreed that a yard would be exactly 0.9144 of a meter, while a pound would be equivalent to 0.453 592 37 kilograms. 

According to the The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a pound is any of a number of units to measure weight and mass. The definition goes on to describe the pound as “a unit now in general use among English-speaking peoples equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces or 7000 grains or 0.4536 kilogram.”

The British pound, or pound sterling, is the official currency of the United Kingdom.

• This ball costs £10.
• The exchange rate between the pound sterling and the Italian lira is quite stable.
• A pound of silver is equivalent to approximately sixteen ounces.

A pound could also refer to a dwelling or enclosure for animals or cars. 

For example:

You can adopt a stray dog from the pound.

As a Verb

Pound can also be used as a verb. According to Merriam-Webster, it means, “to reduce to powder or pulp by beating,” and “to strike heavily or repeatedly.”

For example:

• The carpenter pounds nails into the wood to make furniture.
• The waves pound repeatedly on the beach.
• When baking, you’ll need to pound the dough.

The History of the Word

As a unit of mass, the pound dates back to ancient Rome and the libra (328.9 grams). The first British pound coin appeared in 1489, during the reign of Henry VII. As for the definition relating to an enclosure for animals, that meaning developed in the 14th century from the Old English word pundfald, meaning “penfold, pound.”

Synonyms for Pounds

• avoirdupois
• pint
• troy
• quid
• pound sterling
• smackers
• nicker
• hits
• strike
• batter
• beat
• kennel
• run
• pigpen
• fence
• live-box

Examples of the Word in Context

“He benched 551 pounds while weighing 218 pounds and competing in the 198- to  220-pound weight class. The previous world record was 534 pounds.”
—Fox News

“Pounds are often referred to as GBP (Great Britain Pounds) or sterling (short for pounds sterling). These are the official names for our currency because other countries also use pounds.”
—Money.co.uk

“A nurse stole hundreds of pounds from dementia patients on her ward to spend on clothes.”
—Daily Mail

“If you do use a card on your holiday, shops, restaurants and cash machines will usually ask if you want to pay in pounds rather than the local currency. Always choose the latter. Tourists can lose up to 10% by paying in sterling rather than the domestic currency.”
—BBC News

“When embarking on larger projects such as wedding cakes, jam making, or winemaking you will find that instead of ounces or grams, you will see pounds or kilograms in your recipe.”
—CookingConversions.org

“The ideal place to thaw your turkey is in the fridge, which can take up to a week depending on the size of the bird. Here’s how long it takes a typical turkey to thaw in the fridge—4-12 pounds: 1 to 3 days, 12-16 pounds: 3 to 4 days,16-20 pounds: 4 to 5 days, 20-24 pounds: 5 to 6 days…”
—Epicurious

“The Met has vehicle pounds at Charlton and Perivale, run by police staff and officers. Please make sure that you bring the correct documents with you; otherwise, we won’t be able to release your vehicle.”
—Metropolitan Police

Sources:

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-26169070
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pound
3. https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/pound
4. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pound
5. https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/vr/vehicle-recovery/met-pounds/charlton-perivale-pounds/
6. https://www.epicurious.com/holidays-events/the-easiest-way-to-cook-turkey-article
7. https://www.cookingconversions.org/lbtokg.htm
8. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49015116
9. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7537233/Nurse-31-avoids-jail-stealing-hundreds-pounds-dementia-patients.html
10. https://www.money.co.uk/travel-money/best-euro-exchange-rate.htm
11. https://www.foxnews.com/us/airman-bench-press-air-force

I
[paʋnd]

1. фунт ()

apothecaries [avoirdupois] pound — аптекарский [английский торговый] фунт

pound note — банкнота в один фунт стерлингов

in pounds sterling — в фунтах стерлингов

2) фунт ( () ())

he insisted on his pound of flesh — он безжалостно требовал выполнения сделки

pound for pound — по сравнению с …

a pound to a penny — по всей видимости; ≅ бьюсь об заклад

pounds, shillings and pence — деньги

take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves penny I

in for a penny, in for a pound penny I

II

1. 1) загон для (отбившегося от стада) скота

2) место для хранения невостребованных невыкупленных вещей

2. место заключения, тюрьма

6. магазин по продаже живых омаров

2. заключать в тюрьму

3. огораживать ()

II

1) тяжёлый удар

2) глухой звук удара

1. 1) ( at, on) бить, колотить

to pound out a tune on the piano — барабанить /колотить/ по клавишам

to pound on the door — колотить в дверь

she pounded him with her fists — она колотила его кулаками

2) сильно биться, колотиться ()

4) биться ()

5) бить, греметь

the drums pounded loudly — гремели /громко били/ барабаны

1) обстреливать, бомбардировать

the guns were pounding away — орудия палили вовсю

2) наносить мощные удары

3. 1) толочь, раздроблять, разбивать на мелкие куски

to pound sugar — толочь сахар

to pound stones — дробить камни

2) трамбовать

3) постоянно повторять; внушать

day after day the facts were pounded home to them — изо дня в день им вдалбливали эти факты

4. 1) тяжело идти, бежать скакать

he pounded along the road — он тяжело /с трудом/ шагал по дороге

2) тяжело врезаться в большую волну ()

to pound the books — долбить /зубрить/

he is pounding away on the same line as before — а он всё своё долбит, он продолжает гнуть свою линию

6. мчаться, нестись с грохотом

to pound one’s ear — спать

Measurement is a fundamental process in technology and science. There are many systems of measurement across the world. There is the Imperial system, the SI system, and many others.

The imperial system is in use in the UK and other Commonwealth countries. Weight is a basic unit under this system. However, the pound and lbs have a minimal difference between them.

Key Takeaways

1. “Lbs” is an abbreviation derived from the Latin term “libra pondo,” which translates to “pound weight” and is used as a unit of mass to represent pounds.
2. Pounds, symbolized as “lb” or “lbs,” are a unit of mass used primarily in the United States and other countries that utilize the Imperial or United States customary measurement system.
3. There is no difference between “lbs” and “pounds” in measurement, as they are simply two ways of representing the same unit of mass.

Lbs is an abbreviation for the pound for mass, and it is divided into 12 ounces. It is widely used in Commonwealth countries and the UK but has recently gained use in the USA. Pounds are a unit of measurement of mass that is adopted by the USA, UK, and some European countries, and one pound is equal to 16 ounces.

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Lbs or lb is an abbreviation for pound. It is of Roman origin and has descended from the word libra. Libra means balance.

A pound is a unit of mass employed in the Imperial measurement system. It is also used in countries such as the United States. It is of Latin origin and has descended from the word pondus. Pondus means weight.

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Comparison Table

Parameter Of Comparison	lbs	Pounds
Definition	It is an abbreviation for the pound for mass.	It is an actual unit of measurement of mass adopted by the UK, the USA, and some other European countries.
Origin	The roman word libra.	The Latin phrase pondus.
Inception	It was first introduced in ancient Rome.	It was first introduced in c.1300 in Britain.
Equivalence	Initially equivalent to 328.9 grams.	Equivalent to 453.592 grams.
Ounce Division	Divided into 12 ounces.	Divided into 16 ounces.

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What is Lbs?

Lbs or lb is an abbreviation for the pound mass. It is widely used in the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

It has also been accepted in the US recently. It is of Roman origin. It has been derived from the word libra, meaning balance.

The lb is equivalent to 328.9 grams in the modern system. It is also equivalent to 5076 grains. It was initially divided into twelve ounces.

There are many uncial divisions of lbs. These are the uncia, sextans, triens, and others.

The uncia equals 27.4 grams in the metric system and is estimated as 1/12^th of a libra.

The triens is equivalent to 109.6 grams in the metric system and is estimated as 1/3^rd of a libra. There are also many sub-uncial divisions of lbs.

What are Pounds?

The pound is the unit of measurement of mass. It is used in the UK, the USA, and other European countries. It is represented by the abbreviation lb or lbs.

Although the word has no origin, it is believed to have originated from the Latin phrase pondus. Pondus means weight.

The international avoirdupois pound is the universally agreed convention for the pound. It was adopted in the UK in 1963 after the agreement at the General Conference on Weights and Measures.

The avoirdupois pound is equivalent to sixteen ounces. Also, it equals 453.592 grams in the metric system. It was also known as the wool pound when used in c. 1300.

There have been many types of pounds in the Imperial era and beyond.

These are avoirdupois, tower, merchant, troy, and London pound. However, the troy pound is not used anymore. It was first materialized in England.

1. The troy pound is equivalent to 5760 troy grains and 373 metric grams.
2. The tower pound is equivalent to 5400 troy grains and 350 metric grams.
3. The merchant pound is equivalent to 6750 troy grains and 437 metric grams.
4. The London pound equals 7200 troy grains and 467 metric grams.

Also, the pound sterling is the official currency of many countries. Its use is prevalent in the United Kingdom, Saint Helena, and other countries. It has the abbreviation quid.

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Main Differences Between Lbs and Pounds

A pound is a unit of measurement for both mass and force. It is represented by the abbreviation lbs.

The main differences between lbs and pounds are :

1. The lbs is an abbreviation for the pound mass, whereas the pound is the unit of mass measurement.
2. The origin of lbs is the Roman word libra which means balance, whereas the origin of the pound is the Latin word pondus, which means weight.
3. The lbs originated in ancient Rome, whereas the pound originated somewhere around Britain in c. 1300.
4. The lbs are equal to 328.9 metric grams. On the other hand, the avoirdupois pound is equal to 453.592 metric grams.
5. The libra is divided into twelve ounces, whereas the International avoirdupois pound is divided into sixteen ounces.

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References

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1399-6576.1988.tb02689.x
2. https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/8198262

Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.