lb.

lb.

A bag of flour weighs exactly 5 lb.

Definition
  1. Noun (abbreviation):
    • Pound (unit of weight): "lb." is the standard abbreviation for the pound, a unit of mass or weight in the imperial and United States customary systems. One pound is equivalent to approximately 0.4536 kilograms (or about 450 grams).
    • Usage: It is most commonly used in recipes, grocery labels, and measurements of body weight in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.
Usage Examples
  • (Add two pounds of flour.)
  • (The baby weighed seven pounds and three ounces.)
  • (I purchased a five-pound bag of potatoes.)
Advanced Usage

  • "lb." in scientific contexts: While the pound is not part of the International System of Units (SI), it is still used in some engineering and trade contexts, especially in the United States.

    • The maximum load is 500 lb. (The load capacity is five hundred pounds.)

  • Plural form: The abbreviation "lb." does not change for plural; it is used for both singular and plural pounds (e.g., "1 lb." and "10 lb.").

Variants and Related Words

  • Lb (abbrev): Often written without a period (lb) in informal or technical contexts.

    • The package weighs 10 lb. (The package weighs ten pounds.)

  • Pound (n): The full word for the unit, from which "lb." is derived.

    • The recipe calls for one pound of butter. (The recipe requires one pound of butter.)

  • Lb. wt.: An older abbreviation for "pound weight," occasionally seen in historical texts.

Synonyms
  • Pound: the full term for the unit.
  • #: The symbol for pound (often used in shorthand, e.g., "5# of sugar").
  • Lb. is the standard abbreviation; note that the symbol "£" is used for the British currency (pound sterling), not for weight.
Related Idioms
  • "Penny-wise and pound-foolish": An idiom meaning to be careful with small amounts of money but careless with larger sums. This idiom uses "pound" (currency) rather than "lb." (weight), but is related by the shared word "pound."
    • He saved on cheap ingredients but wasted money on expensive equipment — penny-wise and pound-foolish. (He was careful with small costs but careless with large ones.)