avoirdupois

IPA/ˌævədəˈpɔɪz/
IPA/ˌævərdəˈpɔɪz/

avoirdupois — noun

1. A standard way to measure weight used in the United States and other English-spe

1.nounC1
Definition

A standard way to measure weight used in the United States and other English-speaking countries, where one pound equals sixteen ounces.

Example

The old recipe book from Vermont lists every ingredient by avoirdupois weight, not metric.

avoirdupois weight

Vikram had to learn the avoirdupois system when his job moved him to Chicago.

avoirdupois system

Common collocations
  • avoirdupois weight
  • avoirdupois system
  • avoirdupois pound
  • avoirdupois ounce
Synonyms
  • imperial weight

    a broader term that includes avoirdupois as part of the British imperial system

  • standard weight

    less technical; refers to everyday weight measurement in the US

Antonyms
  • troy weight

    a different system used exclusively for precious metals and gemstones

  • metric system

    the decimal-based system of grams and kilograms used in most countries

Usage Note

Only used as a singular uncountable noun. The system is typically contrasted with troy weight (for precious metals) and the metric system.

Common Mistakes

Gold is weighed in avoirdupois ounces.
Gold is weighed in troy ounces.
Precious metals use troy weight, not avoirdupois.
The recipe calls for 500 grams in the avoirdupois system.
The recipe calls for one pound in the avoirdupois system.
Avoirdupois uses pounds and ounces, not grams.

2. Extra weight on a person’s body, especially fatty tissue that makes them heavier

2.nounC1
Definition

Extra weight on a person’s body, especially fatty tissue that makes them heavier than they would like.

Example

After three months of holiday meals, Theo noticed some extra avoirdupois around his waist.

extra avoirdupois

The fitness trainer helped Abigail reduce her avoirdupois through daily walks and healthy eating.

reduce her avoirdupois

Common collocations
  • extra avoirdupois
  • unwanted avoirdupois
  • lose avoirdupois
  • shed avoirdupois
  • reduce avoirdupois
Synonyms
  • body fat

    more neutral and clinical; less playful

  • flab

    more informal and slightly negative in tone

  • excess weight

    more straightforward and widely understood

Usage Note

Used humorously or euphemistically rather than as a medical term. Avoid in clinical writing.

Common Mistakes

The patient's avoirdupois was recorded as 85 kilograms.
The patient's weight was recorded as 85 kilograms.
'Avoirdupois' sounds informal or old-fashioned in medical records.

avoirdupois — adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Avoirdupois is the everyday weight system used in the United States for groceries, postal packages, and body weight. Troy weight, by contrast, is a separate system used only for precious metals such as gold and silver; a troy pound contains 12 ounces, not 16. The metric system, used in most of the world, measures weight in grams and kilograms based on multiples of ten, making conversions simpler. Imperial units, the broader British system, includes avoirdupois but also uses stones (14 pounds) and hundredweights. In practice, an American buying beef at the market uses avoirdupois pounds; a jeweler weighing gold rings uses troy ounces; and a scientist in a lab uses metric grams.

troy weightmetric systemimperial units

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Anglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Anglo-French “avoir de pois,” meaning “goods of weight.” “Avoir” originally meant “property” or “goods,” and “pois” meant “weight.” The term entered English in the 1300s to describe the standard system used for weighing everyday goods sold in markets, as distinct from the troy system used for precious metals.