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libra

libra

9.9
A weight used in ancient Rome about the same as a pound
  • noun
  • /ˈliːbrə/
  • Archaic
translation icon : libra
  • The recipe called for one libra of flour, which is about a pound.

Examples

  • One libra equals about 0.45 kilograms.

  • In ancient Rome, a libra was used to measure goods in the marketplace.

  • Historians often convert the value of a libra to modern units for clarity.

  • The libra is a unit of weight.

  • In ancient Rome, a libra was used to measure goods in the marketplace.

  • The recipe called for one libra of flour, which is about a pound.

  • One libra equals about 0.45 kilograms.

Synonyms

pound
vslibra
1.0

A unit of weight equal to 16 ounces, about half a kilogram

is an ancient Roman weight roughly equal to this modern sixteen-ounce unit
lb
vslibra
  • Specialized
131 1.0

A weight equal to 16 ounces, often called a pound and used in the US and UK

is an ancient Roman measure roughly equal to that modern unit

Compounds

The seventh zodiac sign shown as scales that has the sun in it from late September to late October

A sign of the zodiac that looks like a pair of scales and covers late September to late October

Surface Forms

libra singular
libras plural

Etymology

The word libra comes from a Latin word meaning 'scales' or 'balance' and was the name for an old Roman unit of weight about a modern 'pound'. That's why the star sign Libra shows scales and why a libra was used to measure how much something weighed.