ProbableNamed from the place
troy pound
noun · first attested Middle English
A pound of gold weighs less than a pound of feathers.
A unit of twelve troy ounces, about 373 grams, used for weighing precious metals.
Record
- Relationship
- Named from the place
- Confidence
- ProbableThe conventional story is likely, with caveats.
- Attested
- Middle English
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Troyes
- In English
troy pound
The system is generally traced to Troyes in Champagne, whose medieval trade fairs set weights and measures for merchants from across Europe. A troy ounce is heavier than an ordinary ounce, but only twelve of them make the pound, so a troy pound falls well short of an avoirdupois one.
Also pinned to Troyes
2 more from the same place
France
All 57 entries 54 more words from France
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