arroba

noun

ar·​ro·​ba ə-ˈrō-bə 

1

: an old Spanish unit of weight equal to about 25 pounds

2

: an old Portuguese unit of weight equal to about 32 pounds

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish, borrowed from Arabic al rubʽ "the quarter" (the unit being a quarter of a Spanish quintal), from al "the" + rubʽ "quarter," derivative of a root r-b-ʽ, whence also arbaʽa "four"

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1