ounce

The word “ounce” means a unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound (about 28.3 grams), used for everyday measurements like food or mail. In plain terms, a small unit of weight, or figuratively, a very small amount of a quality like patience or honesty.

“Ounce” is pronounced owns (/aʊns/ in IPA).

Here is “ounce” used in a sentence: “The recipe calls for four ounces of grated cheese.”

Words with a similar meaning to “ounce” include oz. and fl. oz..

“Ounce” is a noun.

The word “ounce” comes from Latin. From Latin uncia, meaning "a twelfth part," which also gave English the word "inch.".

“Ounce” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Ounce” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound (about 28.3 grams), used for everyday measurements like food or mail.

A standard ounce is a unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound, about 28.3 grams, used for measuring solid items like food or mail. A fluid ounce measures volume rather than weight and is used for liquids, so the two are not directly interchangeable even though they share the same name.

There are sixteen ounces in a pound, since an ounce is defined as one sixteenth of a pound, roughly 28.3 grams. This makes the ounce a convenient smaller unit for everyday measurements like food portions or postage weight.

When used figuratively, an ounce of something describes a tiny amount of it, as in "an ounce of common sense" or "not an ounce of truth." This usage draws on the ounce's status as a small unit of weight to emphasize scarcity.