Avoirdupois system
Avoirdupois System
The Avoirdupois System (pronunciation: /ˌævərdəˈpɔɪz/) is a system of weights (or, more correctly, mass) based on a pound of 16 ounces. It is the everyday system of weight used in the United States and is used for most commodities except precious metals, gems, and drugs.
Etymology
The term "Avoirdupois" is from Middle French and means "goods of weight". This term originally referred to commodities sold by weight, as opposed to those sold by volume, count, or some other method.
History
The Avoirdupois System has been used in England since the 13th century, and it was updated in 1959. The International Avoirdupois Pound was then defined in the United States and countries of the Commonwealth of Nations as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms.
Units
The basic units of the Avoirdupois System are the pound and the ounce. One pound is divided into 16 ounces. An ounce is further divided into 16 drams. A larger unit is the stone, which is equal to 14 pounds.
Related Systems
The Avoirdupois System is related to other systems of measurement used in the past in different parts of the world. These include the Troy weight system, which was used for precious metals and gems, and the Apothecaries' weight system, which was used by pharmacists for medical recipes.
See Also
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