pound

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpau̇nd 

plural pounds also pound

1

: any of various units of mass and weight

specifically : a unit now in general use among English-speaking peoples equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces or 7000 grains or 0.4536 kilogram see Weights and Measures Table

2

a

: the basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

b

: any of numerous basic monetary units of other countries (such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria) see Money Table

c

: the basic monetary unit of Ireland from 1921 to 2001

d

: lira entry 2

e

: the basic monetary unit of Cyprus from 1960 to 2008

pound

2 of 4

noun (2)

1

a

: an enclosure for animals

especially : a public enclosure for stray or unlicensed animals

a dog pound

b

: a depot for holding impounded personal property until redeemed by the owner

a car pound

2

: a place or condition of confinement

3

: an enclosure within which fish are kept or caught

especially : the inner compartment of a fish trap or pound net

pound

3 of 4

verb

pounded; pounding; pounds

transitive verb

1

: to reduce to powder or pulp by beating

2

a

: to strike heavily or repeatedly

b

: to produce with or as if with repeated vigorous strokes

—usually used with out

pound out a story on the typewriter

c

: to inculcate by insistent repetition : drive

day after day the facts were pounded home to them

—Ivy B. Priest

d

: to move, throw, or carry forcefully and aggressively

pound the ball down the field

3

: to move along heavily or persistently

pounded the pavement looking for work

4

: to drink or consume rapidly : slug

pound down some beers

intransitive verb

1

: to strike heavy repeated blows

2

: pulsate, throb

my heart was pounding

3

a

: to move with or make a heavy repetitive sound

b

: to work hard and continuously

—usually used with away

pound

4 of 4

noun (3)

: an act or sound of pounding

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• cage
• coop
• corral
• hutch
• pen

Verb

• barge
• clump
• flog [British]
• flounder
• galumph
• lumber
• lump
• plod
• scuff
• scuffle
• shamble
• shuffle
• slog
• slough
• stamp
• stomp
• stumble
• stump
• tramp
• tromp
• trudge

Noun (3)

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of pound in a Sentence

Noun (2)

stray dogs wearing tags are kept in that pound until their owners can be notified

Verb

Heavy waves pounded the shore.

The metal is heated and then pounded into shape.

He got frustrated and started to pound the piano keys.

He pounded his fist on the table.

The boxers were really pounding each other.

Waves pounded against the side of the boat.

The wheat is pounded into flour.

Pound the herbs and garlic until they form a paste.

He came pounding down the stairs.

The horses pounded up the track.

Noun (3)

give the nail a final pound with the hammer

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Idaho transfer receiver Jordan Dwyer, 6-0 and 195 pounds, is expected to arrive in Fayetteville on Saturday for an official visit and will leave Sunday. —Richard Davenport, arkansasonline.com, 20 Dec. 2024

More than a dozen pilots took off from Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport bound for North Carolina Wednesday morning carrying with them 5,000 pounds of relief supplies for victims of Hurricane Helene. —Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

Verb

But, that reality doesn’t stop the evangelists from pounding their chests and boldly declaring that everything from babies to Roombas should be put on chain. —Jordan Yallen, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

There’s just something hot about a man, woman, or they/them who can pound the drums with precision and skill and provide a constant, stable, rhythmic beat for their fellow band members’ somewhat more theatrical, look-at-me musical skills. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English pund, from Latin pondo pound, from ablative of pondus weight — more at pendant

Noun (2)

Middle English, enclosure, from Old English pund-

Verb

alteration of Middle English pounen, from Old English pūnian

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1876, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pound

• an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
• foot-pound
• foot-pound-second
• in for a penny, in for a pound
• penny-wise and/but pound-foolish
• pound cake
• pound-foolish
• pound for pound
• 800-pound gorilla
• pound key
• pound mile
• pound net
• pound of flesh
• pound out
• pound sign
• pound the streets/pavement
• the pound

Kids Definition

pound

1 of 4 noun

ˈpau̇nd 

plural pounds also pound

1

: any of various units of mass and weight

especially : a unit in general use among English-speaking peoples equal to 16 ounces (about 0.454 kilograms) see measure

2

a

: the basic unit of money of the United Kingdom

called also pound sterling

b

: any of several basic units of money (as of Egypt, Lebanon, or Syria)

c

: a coin or bill representing one pound

pound

2 of 4 noun

1

: a public enclosure for stray animals

the dog pound

2

: an enclosure within which fish or shellfish are caught or stored

pound

3 of 4 verb

1

: to crush to powder or pulp by beating

2

a

: to strike heavily or again and again

pound the piano

b

: to produce by pounding

pound out a tune on the piano

c

: drive entry 1 sense 1b

pound a nail

3

: to move heavily

the horses pounded along the lane

pounder noun

pound

4 of 4 noun

: an act or sound of pounding

Etymology

Noun

Old English pund "pound weight," from Latin pondo (same meaning)

Noun

Old English pund- "an enclosure for animals"

Verb

Old English pūnian "to beat into a powder"

Medical Definition

pound

noun

ˈpau̇nd 

plural pounds also pound

: any of various units of mass and weight: as

a

: a unit of troy weight equal to 12 troy ounces or 5760 grains or 0.3732417216 kilogram formerly used in weighing gold, silver, and a few other costly materials

called also troy pound

b

: a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces or 7000 grains or 0.45359237 kilogram

called also avoirdupois pound

Biographical Definition

Pound 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈpau̇nd 

Ezra Loomis 1885–1972 American poet

Poundian

ˈpau̇n-dē-ən 

adjective

Pound

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Roscoe 1870–1964 American jurist