hundredweight
Definition
- Noun:
- A unit of mass or weight: The "hundredweight" is a historical unit of measurement, but its exact value differs between the British (Imperial) and American (US Customary) systems. It is not part of the modern metric system (SI).
Usage
The word "hundredweight" is used primarily in historical, commercial, or industrial contexts, especially when referring to bulk goods like grain, coal, or steel. It is often abbreviated as cwt.
- British (Imperial) hundredweight: Also called the long hundredweight, it is equal to 112 pounds (approximately 50.802 kilograms).
- Example: In 19th-century Britain, coal was often sold by the hundredweight.
- American (US) hundredweight: Also called the short hundredweight or cental, it is equal to 100 pounds (approximately 45.359 kilograms).
- Example: The farmer's yield was estimated at twenty hundredweight of soybeans.
- Metric hundredweight: In some contexts, particularly informal or historical references to metrication, it can refer to 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds). This is not an official SI unit.
- Example: The old document listed the shipment as "5 hundredweight," which we interpreted as 500 kilograms.
Advanced Usage
- "Per hundredweight": A common phrase in pricing.
- Example: The price of scrap metal is $150 per hundredweight.
- The hundredweight is subdivided into quarters (28 lb in UK, 25 lb in US) and multiplied into a ton. A British (long) ton is 20 long hundredweight (2,240 lb). A US (short) ton is 20 short hundredweight (2,000 lb).
Variants and Related Words
- cwt: The standard abbreviation for hundredweight, derived from the Latin (hundred) and .
- Long hundredweight (UK): The 112-pound unit.
- Short hundredweight or Cental (US): The 100-pound unit.
- Quintal: A metric unit of mass equal to 100 kilograms, sometimes informally called a "metric hundredweight."
Synonyms
- Centum weight (archaic)
- Cental (specifically for the US 100-lb unit)
Notes on Meaning
The core meaning is a unit representing a large quantity (a "hundred weight") of pounds, but the specific number of pounds (100 or 112) must be determined by context (geographical or system of measurement). Its use has declined in favor of metric tonnes or kilograms in most international and scientific contexts.
Noun
-
a British unit of weight equivalent to 112 pounds
-
a United States unit of weight equivalent to 100 pounds
-
a unit of weight equal to 100 kilograms
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