pound

1 of 4

noun (1)

plural pounds also pound
1
: any of various units of mass and weight
specifically : a unit now in general use among English-speaking peoples equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces or 7000 grains or 0.4536 kilogram see Weights and Measures Table
2
a
: the basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

b
: any of numerous basic monetary units of other countries (such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria) see Money Table
c
: the basic monetary unit of Ireland from 1921 to 2001
e
: the basic monetary unit of Cyprus from 1960 to 2008

pound

2 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: an enclosure for animals
especially : a public enclosure for stray or unlicensed animals
a dog pound
b
: a depot for holding impounded personal property until redeemed by the owner
a car pound
2
: a place or condition of confinement
3
: an enclosure within which fish are kept or caught
especially : the inner compartment of a fish trap or pound net

pound

3 of 4

verb

pounded; pounding; pounds

transitive verb

1
: to reduce to powder or pulp by beating
2
a
: to strike heavily or repeatedly
b
: to produce with or as if with repeated vigorous strokes
usually used with out
pound out a story on the typewriter
c
: to inculcate by insistent repetition : drive
day after day the facts were pounded home to themIvy B. Priest
d
: to move, throw, or carry forcefully and aggressively
pound the ball down the field
3
: to move along heavily or persistently
pounded the pavement looking for work
4
: to drink or consume rapidly : slug
pound down some beers

intransitive verb

1
: to strike heavy repeated blows
2
: pulsate, throb
my heart was pounding
3
a
: to move with or make a heavy repetitive sound
b
: to work hard and continuously
usually used with away

pound

4 of 4

noun (3)

: an act or sound of pounding

Examples of pound in a Sentence

Verb Heavy waves pounded the shore. The metal is heated and then pounded into shape. He got frustrated and started to pound the piano keys. He pounded his fist on the table. The boxers were really pounding each other. Waves pounded against the side of the boat. The wheat is pounded into flour. Pound the herbs and garlic until they form a paste. He came pounding down the stairs. The horses pounded up the track.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The pay, for a 37.5-hour workweek, is more than the United Kingdom’s typical national minimum wage, which would equate to about 20,300 pounds per year ($25,720). Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 The chief also said the puppy weighed about 15-20 pounds. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024 Researchers were curious to know how farm-raised python stacked up against other types of livestock: How much food did pythons need to eat to produce a pound of meat for humans? Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 And in December, her weight reached a new low of 89 pounds. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 The Bigger Carry-On is 22.7 by 15.4 by 9.6 inches and weights 7.9 pounds with a nearly 48-liter capacity, which fits up to a week’s worth of outfits. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Louisiana restaurants are currently selling them for $10 to $12 per pound. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2024 The Details: Dimensions: 23.6 x 23.6 x 15 inches Footprint: 25 x 24 inches Weight: 8.6 pounds Power source: AC adapter Weight limit: 20 pounds Other Notable Baby Swings In our testing, three swings received honorable mentions but, ultimately, didn’t meet all of the criteria for our recommendations. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 7 Mar. 2024 Trotter is about six-feet tall and weighs about 250 pounds and uses a walker. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
Even back in 2016 – when far fewer took the only land route between South and Central America than the half-million people who crossed in 2023 – it was overrun by deadly risks, from criminals to animals to racing rivers and pounding rain. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Mar. 2024 As the warming atmosphere has fueled more extreme weather across the globe, including disastrous downpours across Southern California, pounding rains have overwhelmed sewer pipes across Los Angeles and pose increasing challenges for the region’s water infrastructure. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 There were doomy, crashing chords, relentless drumming, a pounding keyboard, and some vigorous tambourine. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 The high tide and winds that pounded the area on Sunday washed nearly half of the sand away, mere days after it was placed. Lola Fadulu, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Though metro Detroit is being pounded by snow as the weekend commences, the forecast isn't as bad as many inches predicted earlier this week, and there are great local arts gatherings to keep you warm this weekend. Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 American jets pounded the city; isis forces shot back from rooftops. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Take five minutes to discover the varied, explosive, resonant sounds of percussion instruments, whether struck, shaken, pounded or scratched. Javier C. Hernández, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The Oakland Tech two guard was hounded and pounded by Wildcat defenders on every drive, but that was standard procedure in a playoff game. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pound.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English pund, from Latin pondo pound, from ablative of pondus weight — more at pendant

Noun (2)

Middle English, enclosure, from Old English pund-

Verb

alteration of Middle English pounen, from Old English pūnian

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pound was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near pound

Cite this Entry

“Pound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pound. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pound

1 of 4 noun
plural pounds also pound
1
: any of various units of mass and weight
especially : a unit in general use among English-speaking peoples equal to 16 ounces (about 0.454 kilograms) see measure
2
a
: the basic unit of money of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

b
: any of several basic units of money (as of Egypt, Lebanon, or Syria)
c
: a coin or bill representing one pound

pound

2 of 4 noun
1
: a public enclosure for stray animals
the dog pound
2
: an enclosure within which fish or shellfish are caught or stored

pound

3 of 4 verb
1
: to crush to powder or pulp by beating
2
a
: to strike heavily or again and again
pound the piano
b
: to produce by pounding
pound out a tune on the piano
c
: drive entry 1 sense 1b
pound a nail
3
: to move heavily
the horses pounded along the lane
pounder noun

pound

4 of 4 noun
: an act or sound of pounding
Etymology

Noun

Old English pund "pound weight," from Latin pondo (same meaning)

Noun

Old English pund- "an enclosure for animals"

Verb

Old English pūnian "to beat into a powder"

Medical Definition

pound

noun
plural pounds also pound
: any of various units of mass and weight: as
a
: a unit of troy weight equal to 12 troy ounces or 5760 grains or 0.3732417216 kilogram formerly used in weighing gold, silver, and a few other costly materials

called also troy pound

b
: a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces or 7000 grains or 0.45359237 kilogram

called also avoirdupois pound

Biographical Definition

Pound 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Ezra Loomis 1885–1972 American poet
Poundian adjective

Pound

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Roscoe 1870–1964 American jurist

More from Merriam-Webster on pound

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