English system
- noun
- /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ˈsɪstəm/
- Specialized
:
sistema inglés
- Students often find the English system confusing compared to the simplicity of the metric system.
Examples
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The English system is widely used.
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Many construction projects in the United States use the English system for measurements.
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She had to convert the recipe from the English system to the metric system before baking.
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Many people find the English system confusing.
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In the United States, many recipes still use the English system of measurements like cups and ounces.
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Builders often rely on the English system for measurements when constructing homes in the US.
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Despite the metric system's global prevalence, the English system remains common in many American industries.
Synonyms
1
4.8
A system of measures like the foot and pound used in Britain
A system of measures in the United States using feet, pounds, and pints
A system of measuring distance, weight, and liquid once used in Britain using feet, pounds, and pints
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound literally combines 'English' (pertaining to England) and 'system' (a set of rules), so a learner would plausibly infer it denotes a system associated with England. However, the specific conventionalized reference to the system of weights and measures (Imperial/English units) is not directly derivable from the parts and requires cultural/terminological knowledge, making the link only partial.
Etymology
English system comes from the long use of units like foot, pound, pint, and second in England and later in the United States. Imagine builders and cooks measuring with those units every day; that's why the phrase now means the old set of measures, not the 'metric system'.