avoirdupois

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avoirdupois

/ˌævədəˈpɔɪz/ UK
/ˌævwɑːdjuːˈpwɑː/ UK
/ˌævɚdəˈpɔɪz/ US

Rhymes with -ɔɪz, -ɑː

Where it comes from

From Middle English avoir de pois, aver de peis, haburdy poyse, haburdepays, haburdepeyse, from Old French aveir + de + peis (“asset of weight”), influenced by Middle French avoir + du + pois; compare French poids (“weight”).

noun avoirdupoises · averdupois

historical, uncountable, usually The official system of weights used in the UK between 1856 and 1963. It had been the customary system in London since 1300.
historical, uncountable, usually The official system of weights used in the USA between 1866 and 1959.
humorous, uncountable, usually Weight; heaviness. It seems humanly reasonable that the three of us can woman-handle a mere man of your elderly and insulting avoirdupois.
obsolete, uncountable, usually Merchandise. From that mountain go men to the city of Thauriso that was wont to be clept Taxis, that is a full fair city and a great, and one of the best that is in the world for merchandise; thither come all merchants for to buy avoirdupois, and it is in the land of the Emperor of Persia.

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MLA

"avoirdupois." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/avoirdupois. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

avoirdupois. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/avoirdupois

Chicago

"avoirdupois." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/avoirdupois.

BibTeX

@misc{avoirdupois_2026,
  title = {avoirdupois},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/avoirdupois},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}