avoirdupois system
- noun
- /ˌævərˈdʊpɔɪz ˈsɪstəm/
- Specialized
:
sistema avoirdupois
- The United States still uses the avoirdupois system for most common weights.
Examples
-
Historically, the avoirdupois system was adopted for trade in English-speaking countries.
-
He converted the recipe measurements from the avoirdupois system to metric units.
-
The avoirdupois system is used for measuring food in the United States.
-
Many products in grocery stores are sold using the avoirdupois system.
-
In the United States, prices for fruits and vegetables are typically listed using the avoirdupois system of measurement.
-
The avoirdupois system is widely used in grocery stores to weigh products like meat and cheese.
-
When cooking, it is important to understand the avoirdupois system for accurate ingredient measurements.
Synonyms
A way to measure weight using a 16-ounce pound for everyday goods
A system of weights using a 16-ounce pound for common goods
A way to measure weight using a pound of 16 ounces, used in the United States for everyday goods
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'avoirdupois' already names a particular weight measure (pounds/ounces), so combining it with 'system' yields a directly compositional meaning: a system of weights based on the avoirdupois standard. Although the term is somewhat technical and etymologically French, a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the intended concept without prior exposure.
Etymology
Avoirdupois system may come from old French words avoir and pois, meaning 'to have' and 'weight', which traders used for goods sold by weight. Merchants talked about the weight of goods, so that literal idea became the name for the system of pounds and ounces we use for everyday weights today.
