pound
pound
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling of pound is /paʊnd/.
/p/: The initial voiceless consonant sound, as in "pet."
/aʊ/: The diphthong vowel sound, as in "cow" or "house."
/n/: The nasal consonant sound, as in "nice."
/d/: The final voiced consonant sound, as in "dog."
Word Form Variations
Noun: pound (singular), pounds (plural)
Verb: pound (infinitive), pounds (third-person present), pounding (present participle), pounded (past tense and past participle)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A unit of measurement for weight, equivalent to 16 ounces or approximately 453.6 grams.
Synonyms: (none)
Antonyms: (none)
The primary unit of currency in the United Kingdom and certain other countries (e.g., pound sterling £). 💷
Synonyms: quid (slang), sterling
Antonyms: (none)
A forceful, heavy strike or the sound of such a strike.
Synonyms: blow, thump, whack, thud
Antonyms: tap, pat, caress
An enclosure or facility where stray animals, especially dogs and cats, are kept.
Synonyms: shelter, kennel, impound
Antonyms: home, wilderness
Verb
To strike something repeatedly with heavy, forceful blows.
Synonyms: batter, hammer, pummel, beat
Antonyms: tap, pat, stroke, caress
To crush or grind something into a fine powder or paste.
Synonyms: grind, pulverize, mash, crush
Antonyms: create, assemble, construct
To throb or beat rapidly and heavily, as in a heart or a headache.
Synonyms: throb, pulsate, thump, pulse
Antonyms: soothe, quiet, calm
To walk or run with heavy, noisy steps.
Synonyms: stomp, tramp, plod
Antonyms: tiptoe, creep, glide
Examples of Use
In Publications and Media
As a unit of currency, in financial reporting: "The British pound slumped to a record low against the dollar on Monday after the government announced a new mini-budget." (Reuters, September 2022).
As a verb meaning to strike repeatedly, often in weather or military contexts: "The remnants of Hurricane Ian will continue to pound the mid-Atlantic and Northeast with soaking rain, chilly temperatures and gusty winds." (Fox Weather, October 2022).
As a unit of weight in recipes and food journalism: "The original recipe from The Times called for a pound of mushrooms, which is a lot of mushrooms." (The New York Times, October 2019).
In Books and Literature
As a unit of weight in a classic novel: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... 'Recalled to Life.' A guard came to the prison shoe-shop, where he was sitting on a low bench, stooping forward and very busy, making a woman’s shoe... 'You have a visitor.' 'What did you say?' 'Here is a visitor.' The shoemaker looked up... he had a white beard, raggedly cut, but not very long, a hollow face, and exceedingly bright eyes... At last, there were three men, besides the shoemaker, in the room. 'To be frank, then, my dear Lorry, the thing is this—An old banking-house had a gentleman for a clerk, who was drowned and lost, as I have said. It was not in reality his body, but some other man’s, that was found. He is alive... and has been found. This is he. We have to take him some place where he will be well taken care of, and send him to his daughter in London. You are not listening.' 'I am listening.' 'You have been a prisoner?' 'A long time.' 'You were a banker?' 'I was.' 'And have suffered much?' 'Much.' ...He took up a piece of the shoe he was making, and began to pound at it with his hammer." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities).
Describing a physiological reaction: "My heart began to pound in my ears, a frantic drum against the sudden, dead silence." (Stephenie Meyer, Twilight).
In Entertainment
As an animal shelter, in a classic animated film: In Disney's Lady and the Tramp, stray dogs are captured by the dogcatcher and taken to the local pound.
As a verb meaning to hit, in the lyrics of a popular song: "We will, we will rock you... Buddy, you're a young man, hard man, shoutin' in the street, gonna take on the world someday. You got blood on your face, you big disgrace, wavin' your banner all over the place. We will, we will rock you..." 1The iconic rhythm of the song is famously created by a "stomp, stomp, clap" pattern, mimicking a heavy pounding beat. (Queen, "We Will Rock You").
In video game terminology, referring to an attack: The "Ground Pound" is a signature move of the character Mario in numerous games, where he jumps and then smashes down forcefully on an enemy or object.
In General Public Discourse
To describe heavy, noisy footsteps: "Could you please stop pounding on the floor up there? I'm trying to work."
Referring to a headache: "I need to take some aspirin; my head is absolutely pounding."
In the context of fitness and sports, as part of a common slogan: The phrase "pound the pavement" is often used to mean going for a run, especially on a hard surface like a road or sidewalk.
In cooking, giving instructions: "First, pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness so they cook evenly."
10 Famous Quotes Using Pound
I will have my pound of flesh. (William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice)
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. (Benjamin Franklin)
Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves. (William Lowndes)
The pound in your pocket has not been devalued. (Harold Wilson)
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. (Charles Dickens, David Copperfield)
My heart began to pound with a monstrous excitement that was curiously similar to terror. (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby)
Keep pounding the rock. (Sam Mills)
On a few pounds a week, they contrive to live a fuller and more human life than the rich. (George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London)
It is better to have a pound of courage than a ton of luck. (Anonymous Proverb)
Worth, madam? why, a pound is a pound. (Samuel Johnson)
Etymology
The word pound is fascinating because it's not just one word with several meanings, but rather three entirely separate words from ancient times that, through sheer coincidence, ended up sounding exactly the same in modern English.
1. Pound (Weight and Money)
This is the oldest version and traces its roots back to the Roman Empire.
The Origin: The Romans had a measurement called a libra pondo. Libra meant "scales" or "balance" (which is why the astrological sign is the scales), and pondo meant "by weight." So, libra pondo literally meant "a pound by weight."
How it Entered English: When Germanic tribes like the Angles and Saxons came into contact with Roman culture, they borrowed the word pondo and adapted it into their own language. In Old English, it became the word pund. This is the direct ancestor of our word for a unit of weight.
The Money Connection: The British unit of currency, the pound sterling, was originally named because its value was equal to one literal pound of sterling silver. So, the word for the weight and the word for the money come from the same ancient source. This also explains why the abbreviation for the unit of weight is "lb.," as a shortened form of the original Latin word libra.
2. Pound (To Hit or Strike)
This version has a completely different, unrelated origin.
The Origin: This word comes from an Old English verb, pūnian, which meant "to crush into a powder" or "to pulverize."
How it Evolved: Over time, the meaning broadened from the specific action of grinding something up to the more general action required to do so: hitting something hard and repeatedly. So, the idea of "pounding" spices in a mortar evolved into "pounding" a nail with a hammer or your heart "pounding" in your chest.
3. Pound (An Animal Enclosure)
This third version also has its own unique and separate history.
The Origin: This word comes from a different Old English word, pyndan, which meant "to dam up" or "to enclose." This is also where we get the words "pen" (as in an animal pen) and "impound."
How it Evolved: A pound for stray animals is simply a place where they are enclosed or "penned in." The meaning has stayed very close to its original root.
In summary, the first known use of pound in English dates back to the Old English period (before 1066) and referred specifically to the unit of weight borrowed from Latin. The other two meanings, while also ancient, developed on separate tracks from their own Germanic roots.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Pound
Pound for pound
A phrase used to rank competitors in different weight classes as if they were the same size, especially in boxing or martial arts. It's also used more generally to mean "considering its size." 🥊
A pound of flesh
A cruel or unreasonable demand; a debt that must be paid back, no matter the cost to the debtor. This idiom originates from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
Pound the pavement
To walk the streets, often in search of a job, to campaign for votes, or to make sales.
In for a penny, in for a pound
A British idiom meaning that once you have started something, you should commit to finishing it, even if it becomes more difficult or requires more investment than you first thought.
Pound sand
A dismissive and impolite way to tell someone to go away or stop bothering you.
Pound a square peg into a round hole
To try to force something or someone into a role or situation for which they are unsuited.
Pound one's chest
To behave in a boastful or overly aggressive way to show off one's strength or importance.
My heart is pounding
A common expression describing the physical sensation of a rapid, heavy heartbeat caused by fear, excitement, or physical exertion.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
A proverb meaning that it is far easier and better to prevent a problem from happening in the first place than to deal with it after it has occurred.
Pound a beat
A phrase describing the work of a police officer walking a specific, assigned route on patrol.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of pound from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
