hundredthweight

A farmer loads a hundredthweight of grain onto a wagon.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A unit of weight: "hundredthweight" is a non-standard or variant term for a hundredweight, which is a unit of weight used in the imperial system. In the United Kingdom, a hundredweight equals 112 pounds (approximately 50.8 kilograms); in the United States, it equals 100 pounds (approximately 45.3 kilograms). The term "hundredthweight" is rarely used, and "hundredweight" is the standard spelling.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The shipment was measured in hundredthweights, each equivalent to 112 pounds in the UK system. (A unit of weight for cargo.)
  • The farmer sold his grain at a rate per hundredthweight, using the US standard of 100 pounds. (A pricing unit for bulk goods.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hundredthweight" as a historical variant: The term "hundredthweight" is an archaic or dialectal form of "hundredweight." It is not common in modern usage, but may appear in older legal documents or regional trade records.
  • The contract specified a price per hundredthweight of iron ore. (A historical or legal usage of the weight unit.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hundredweight (n): the standard spelling of the unit of weight.
  • A hundredweight of coal was delivered to the house. (A standard imperial weight unit.)
• Cwt (abbreviation): the standard abbreviation for hundredweight.
  • The shipment weighed 10 cwt. (Ten hundredweights.)

Synonyms

• Centum weight: a less common synonym for hundredweight, derived from Latin (hundred).
• Quintal: a metric unit of weight equal to 100 kilograms, sometimes used interchangeably with hundredweight in non-technical contexts.

Related Idioms

• "A hundredweight of trouble": an idiomatic expression meaning a great burden or difficulty, though "hundredthweight" is not used in this idiom; "hundredweight" is the standard form.
  • He carried a hundredweight of worry about the business. (A heavy emotional burden.)