Why is lb the symbol for pound?
By Anne Marie Helmenstine Ph.D. ThoughtCo
Have you ever wondered why we use the symbol “lb” for the “pounds” unit? The word “pound” is short for “pound weight,” which was libra pondo in Latin. The librapart of the phrase meant both weight or balance scales. The Latin usage was shortened to libra, which naturally was abbreviated “lb”. We adopted the pound part from pondo, yet kept the abbreviation for libra.
There are different definitions for the mass of a pound, depending on the country. In the United States, the modern pound unit is defined to be 2.20462234 pounds per metric kilogram. There are 16 ounces in 1 pound. However, in Roman times, the libra(pound) was about 0.3289 kilograms and was divided into 12 uncia or ounces.
- Fletcher, Leroy S.; Shoup, Terry E. (1978). Introduction to Engineering. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0135018583.
- United States National Bureau of Standards (1959-06-25). “Notices “Refinement of values for the yard and the pound“.
- Zupko, Ronald Edward (1985). Dictionary of Weights and Measures for the British Isles: The Middle Ages to the 20th Century. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 0-87169-168-X.
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator.
She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues.
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