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Glite Dictionary
troy unit

troy unit

9.8
A unit of weight in the troy system used for gold and silver
  • noun
  • /trɔɪ ˈjunɪt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : unidad troy
  • The price of gold is quoted per troy unit rather than in standard ounces.

Examples

  • Silver bars are weighed in troy units for international trade.

  • Gold is sold by the troy unit in many markets.

  • Collectors sometimes confuse the troy unit with other systems of measurement.

  • A troy unit is often used to measure gold.

  • The price of gold is quoted per troy unit rather than in standard ounces.

  • Silver bars are weighed in troy units for international trade.

  • Gold is sold by the troy unit in many markets.

Surface Forms

troy unit singular
troy units plural

Morphology

troy + unit

The compound is directly compositional: 'troy' (the system of weights used for precious metals) plus 'unit' (a measurement quantity) yields a measurement unit of the troy system. Although 'troy' is a somewhat specialized term, a learner who already knows that meaning can readily infer the MWE's sense.

Etymology

Troy unit comes from the old French town of Troyes, and the town's name became troy, which was used to name a weight unit that traders used to weigh gold and silver. So today a troy unit means the special 'unit' used to measure precious metals like gold and silver.