Definition

1. Noun:
   • A unit of mass in the British imperial system: The "long hundredweight" is a traditional British unit of weight equal to 112 pounds avoirdupois (approximately 50.802 kilograms). It is also known as the "imperial hundredweight" or "cental" in some contexts, distinguishing it from the smaller "short hundredweight" of 100 pounds used in the United States.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The shipment of coal was measured in long hundredweights.
  • In the UK, a long hundredweight is still sometimes used for certain agricultural products.

Advanced Usage

• Historical and Regional Context: The term is primarily used in historical texts or in regions still utilizing imperial measurements for trade. It is crucial to specify "long" to avoid confusion with the American "short hundredweight."
  • The old recipe called for flour by the long hundredweight, a measure no longer common in modern bakeries.

Variants and Related Words

• Hundredweight (cwt): Often used as an abbreviation. Without qualification, its meaning depends on regional context (112 lbs in the UK, 100 lbs in the US).
• Imperial hundredweight: A direct synonym for "long hundredweight."
• Centum weight: Another historical term from which "hundredweight" is derived.
• Short hundredweight: The US unit of 100 pounds, providing a direct contrast.

Synonyms

• Imperial hundredweight
• 112-pound weight

Related Phrases

• By the hundredweight: Sold or measured in units of hundredweight.
  • Wool was traditionally traded by the hundredweight.

Notes on Meaning

• The "long hundredweight" represents one of the differences between the British imperial system and the US customary system of weights. Its value of 112 pounds is based on 8 stone (where 1 stone = 14 lbs), reflecting the system's non-decimal origins.

Noun

1. a British unit of weight equivalent to 112 pounds