ounce

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈau̇n(t)s 

1

a

: a unit of weight equal to ¹/₁₂ troy pound see Weights and Measures Table

b

: a unit of weight equal to ¹/₁₆ avoirdupois pound

c

: a small amount

an ounce of sense

2

: fluid ounce

ounce

2 of 2

noun (2)

: snow leopard

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• ace
• bit
• crumb
• dab
• dram
• driblet
• glimmer
• hint
• lick
• little
• mite
• nip
• particle
• peanuts
• ray
• scintilla
• scruple
• shade
• shadow
• shred
• skosh
• smack
• smell
• smidgen
• smidgeon
• smidgin
• smidge
• snap
• soupçon
• spark
• spatter
• speck
• splash
• spot
• sprinkling
• strain
• streak
• suspicion
• tad
• touch
• trace

Examples of ounce in a Sentence

Noun (1)

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Each item inside the bag must be smaller than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters. —Harrison Pierce, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2024

Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 128 Yield: 8 half-pints Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 2 quart fresh raspberries 1 (1.75) ounce package regular powdered fruit pectin 7 cup sugar Directions Crush 1 cup of the berries in an 8-quart Dutch oven or pot. —Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2024

Prices have pulled back to around $2,300 per ounce, but there is a growing sentiment that the gold market is governed no longer by economic factors but by the whims of Chinese buyers and investors. —Claire Fu, New York Times, 5 May 2024

Additionally, the milliner works to use every ounce of fabric sourced for her designs, which are reworn and passed down through generations. —Morgan Evans, Vogue, 4 May 2024

His fish weighed 3 pounds, 2 ounces, and beat out the previous record by more than half a pound, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which made Lara’s record official on Wednesday. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2024

Jihad, their first child, weighed 5 pounds 8 ounces. —Bilal Shbair, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024

The foldable, ultra-portable quadcopter weighs a mere 249 grams (around 8.8 ounces), yet can still handle wind resistance of up to 10.7m/s. —Brandon Widder, The Verge, 20 Apr. 2024

Both flavors will be available to purchase soon nationwide and will come in both 12 ounce cans and 20 ounce bottles. —Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French unce, from Latin uncia 12th part, ounce, from unus one — more at one

Noun (2)

Middle English unce lynx, from Middle French, alteration (by misdivision, as if l'once the ounce) of lonce, probably from Old Italian lonza, from Middle Greek lynk-, lynx, from Greek

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1774, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ounce

• an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
• fluid ounce

Kids Definition

ounce

noun

ˈau̇n(t)s

1

a

: a unit of weight equal to ¹⁄₁₂ troy pound (about 31 grams) see measure

b

: a unit of weight equal to ¹⁄₁₆ avoirdupois pound (about 28 grams)

c

: a small amount

an ounce of common sense

2

: fluid ounce

Etymology

Noun

Middle English unce, ounce "ounce," from early French unce (same meaning), from Latin uncia "a twelfth part, ounce," from unus "one" — related to inch, unite

Word Origin

The Latin word uncia was used to mean "a twelfth part of something." In reference to length, it meant one-twelfth of a pes "foot." In reference to weight, it meant one-twelfth of a libra "pound." Uncia, as a unit of length, came into Old English as ince or ynce, which became our inch. Uncia, as a unit of weight, came into Middle English from the early French word unce and became our ounce. In the present system of weights used in this country, the pound is divided into sixteen parts instead of twelve. The result is that the ounce, which originally meant one-twelfth, is now equal to one-sixteenth of a pound.

Medical Definition

ounce

noun

ˈau̇n(t)s 

1

a

: a unit of troy weight equal to ¹/₁₂ troy pound or 31.103 grams

b

: a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to ¹/₁₆ avoirdupois pound or 28.350 grams

2

: fluid ounce