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⇱ ounce - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

ounce

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈaʊns/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/aʊns/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ouns)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ounce1 /aʊns/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. Weights and Measuresa unit of weight equal to 437.5 grains or 1&sfracdenom;16&sfracend; of a pound (28.349 grams) avoirdupois.
  2. Weights and Measuresa unit of weight equal to 480 grains or 1&sfracdenom;12&sfracend; of a pound (31.103 grams) troy or apothecaries' weight.
  3. Weights and Measuresa fluid ounce:Thirty-two ounces make a quart.
  4. a small quantity or portion:doesn't have an ounce of sense.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ounce1  (ouns),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Weights and Measuresa unit of weight equal to 437.5 grains or 1⁄16 pound (28.349 grams) avoirdupois.
  2. Weights and Measuresa unit of 480 grains, 1⁄12 pound (31.103 grams) troy or apothecaries' weight.
  3. Weights and Measuresa fluid ounce.
  4. a small quantity or portion.
  • Latin uncia twelfth part, inch, ounce, derivative of unus one
  • Middle French
  • Middle English unce 1350–1400

ounce2  (ouns),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Zoology, MammalsSee snow leopard. 
  • Vulgar Latin *luncea, derivative of Latin lync- (stem of lynx) lynx
  • Anglo-French; Old French once, variant of lonce (erroneously taken as l'once the ounce)
  • Middle English unce lynx 1300–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ounce /aʊns/ n
  1. a unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound (avoirdupois); 1 ounce is equal to 437.5 grains or 28.349 gramsAbbreviation: oz
  2. a unit of weight equal to one twelfth of a Troy or Apothecaries' pound; 1 ounce is equal to 480 grains or 31.103 grams
  3. short for fluid ounce
  4. a small portion or amount
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French unce, from Latin uncia a twelfth; from ūnus one
ounce /aʊns/ n
  1. another name for snow leopard
Etymology: 18th Century: from Old French once, by mistaken division of lonce as if l'once, from Latin lynx
'ounce' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: can I have [eight] ounces of [meat, pork, fish]?, give me [eight] ounces of [meat], weighs [eight] ounces, more...

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