Etymology From Middle English pound, from Old English pund (“a pound, weight”), from Proto-West Germanic *pund, from Proto-Germanic *pundą (“pound, weight”), an early borrowing from Latin pondō (“by weight”), ablative form of pondus (“weight”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to pull, stretch”). Cognate with Dutch pond, German Pfund, Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish pund. Doublet of funt, pfund, pood, and punt.
B-2 bombers are the only plane capable of carrying the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, which experts have highlighted as the only type of bomb potentially capable of destroying Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear facility. Each B-2 bomber is able to carry two of these “bunker buster” bombs, which weigh an impressive 30,000 pounds each.2025 June 21, Thomas Bordeaux, Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, “US moves B-2 bombers as Trump weighs Iran options”, in CNN, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2025:
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Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of pound weight.
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Various non-English units of measure.
› A unit of mass in various measurement systems.
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Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of pound mass.
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Various non-English units of measure.
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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.
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.2010 July 28, Rachel Williams, “Mothers who lose weight before further pregnancy ‘reduce risks’”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 16 Aug 2020:
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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.
› A unit of force in various measurement systems
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Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of pound force.
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Various non-English units of measure.
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Abbreviation, Ellipsis, Informal, Non scientific Ellipsis of pound-force.
› A unit of currency in various currency systems.
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The unit of currency used in the United Kingdom and its dependencies. It is divided into 100 pence.
"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.1860, George Eliot, chapter 6, in The Mill on the Floss, book 5:
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?2012 November 11, Carole Cadwalladr, “Do online courses spell the end for the traditional university?”, in The Observer, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2020:
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Any of various units of currency used in Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria, and formerly in the Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, Nigeria, Israel, and South Africa.
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.1922 February, James Joyce, “[[Episode 4]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:
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Any of various units of currency formerly used in the United States.
the Rhode Island pound; the New Hampshire pound
He knocked out cans of warm cola at two pound fifty a time.2010, Steven Field, Dusty's Fort, →ISBN, page 33:
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Informal Various non-English units of currency not officially called pounds.
In the report of the Special Budget Commission certifying the estimates for 1874-75, it was announced on authority that the total amount of this debt did not exceed 14,725,000 Turkish pounds(liras), or £13,000,000, while the Special Commission for the verification of the budget for 1875-76 returned the total amount at 10,309,521 Turkish pounds(liras), or £8,935,000.1878, w:Henry Hozier, The Russo-Turkish War: Including an Account of the Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Power and the History of the Eastern Question, page 61:
Etymology From Middle English pound, from Old English pund (“a pound, weight”), from Proto-West Germanic *pund, from Proto-Germanic *pundą (“pound, weight”), an early borrowing from Latin pondō (“by weight”), ablative form of pondus (“weight”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to pull, stretch”). Cognate with Dutch pond, German Pfund, Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish pund. Doublet of funt, pfund, pood, and punt.
‘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.’1854, Dickens, chapter 4, in Hard Times:
“He's done,” said the Moocher brutally. “He didn't hear nuffin, I'll pound it.”1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life, Penguin, published 2009, page 70:
Etymology 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”).
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A place for the detention of stray or wandering animals.
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.1997 February 24, N. R. Kleinfield, “Robert Sarnoff, 78, RCA Chairman, Dies”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
(Police officer to a dog owner) "He'd better stay calm or I'll have the pound come and get him."2002, 00:27:30 from the start, in 25th Hour:
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UK A place for the detention of automobiles that have been illegally parked, abandoned, etc.
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!1984, Beverly Hills Cop, Paramount Pictures:
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A section of a canal between two adjacent locks.
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A kind of fishing net, having a large enclosure with a narrow entrance into which fish are directed by wings spreading outward.
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.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
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Newfoundland A division inside a fishing stage where cod is cured in salt brine.
Etymology 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”).
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To confine in, or as in, a pound; to impound.
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 apparrellc. 1620, anonymous, “Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song” in Giles Earle his Booke (British Museum, Additional MSS. 24, 665)
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.1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; A speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England:
pound
verb
Etymology 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”).
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.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter XII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
[...] 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.1960 December, “Talking of Trains: The railways and the Devon floods”, in Trains Illustrated, page 709:
1 more example
I pounded on a farmhouse / Lookin' for a place to stay / I was mighty, mighty tired / I had come a long, long way1964, Bob Dylan, “Motorpsycho Nitemare”:
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To crush to pieces; to pulverize.
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, […]1887, Indian Cookery "Local" for Young Housekeepers: Second Edition, page 67:
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.1976, Alex Haley, chapter 1, in Roots: The Saga of an American Family:
The sounds of a house-party rolled down the street / So we pounded our Pilsner and leapt to our feet2007, “Fire Marshall Willy”, performed by The Dreadnoughts:
The pitcher has been pounding the outside corner all night.
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Of a body part To beat strongly or throb.
Generally heart; blood; or head; generally heart; blood; or head
As I tiptoed past the sleeping dog, my heart was pounding but I remained silent.
My head was pounding.
2 more examples
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.1936, Ernest Hemingway, The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber:
I can't let go, you're like the chemical You're racing through me My heart just pounds, pounds, pounds...2015 May 12, Rachel Platten, Dave Bassett, Brian West, “Beating Me Up”, in Fight Song, performed by Rachel Platten:
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 tired2008, Gucci Mane, “Bachelor Pad”, in The Movie:
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To advance heavily with measured steps.
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.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:
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Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences To make a jarring noise, as when running.
Etymology 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”).