Troy weight

Troy weight
Troy Troy, n. Troy weight. [1913 Webster]

{Troy weight}, the weight which gold and silver, jewels, and the like, are weighed. It was so named from Troyes, in France, where it was first adopted in Europe. The troy ounce is supposed to have been brought from Cairo during the crusades. In this weight the pound is divided into 12 ounces, the ounce into 20 pennyweights, and the pennyweight into 24 grains; hence, the troy ounce contains 480 grains, and the troy pound contains 5760 grains. The avoirdupois pound contains 7000 troy grains; so that 175 pounds troy equal 144 pounds avoirdupois, or 1 pound troy = 0.82286 of a pound avoirdupois, and 1 ounce troy = 117/175 or 1.09714 ounce avoirdupois. Troy weight when divided, the pound into 12 ounces, the ounce into 8 drams, the dram into 3 scruples, and the scruple into 20 grains, is called apothecaries' weight, used in weighing medicines, etc. In the standard weights of the United States, the troy ounce is divided decimally down to the 1/10000 part. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Troy weight — is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, black powder, and gemstones.Named after Troyes, France, the troy system of weights was known to exist in medieval times. One cubic inch of distilled water, at 62 °F (17 °C), and… …   Wikipedia

  • troy-weight — ● troy ou troy weight nom masculin Système de poids anglais, employé pour les métaux précieux et les pierreries, dans lequel la pound troy (373 g) vaut 12 ounces, et l ounce 480 grains …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • troy weight — n a series of units of weight based on a pound of 12 ounces and an ounce of 480 grains or 31.103 grams …   Medical dictionary

  • troy weight — [ trɔı ,weıt ] noun uncount a system for measuring the weight of jewels and metals such as gold and silver …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • troy weight — [ˈtrɔı weıt] n [U] [Date: 1400 1500; Origin: Troyes city in northern France] a system of measuring weights in Britain and the US, used especially for weighing gold, silver etc …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • troy weight — troy′ weight n. wam a system of weights in use for precious metals and gems, in which a pound equals 12 ounces (0.373 kg) and an ounce equals 20 pennyweights or 480 grains (31.103 grams) …   From formal English to slang

  • troy weight — n. [ME, after TROYES2, where first used at medieval fairs] a system of weights for gold, silver, precious stones, etc.: see the table of weights and measures in the Reference Supplement …   English World dictionary

  • troy weight — noun a system of weights used for precious metals and gemstones; based on a 12 ounce pound and an ounce of 480 grains • Syn: ↑troy • Hypernyms: ↑system of weights, ↑weight • Part Meronyms: ↑troy unit * * * noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • troy weight — /trɔɪ weɪt/ noun a system of measurement of weight used for gold and other metals, such as silver and platinum COMMENT: Troy weight is divided into grains, pennyweights (24 grains = 1 pennyweight), ounces (20 pennyweights = 1 ounce) and pounds… …   Dictionary of banking and finance

  • troy weight — a system of weights in use for precious metals and gems (formerly also for bread, grain, etc.): 24 grains = 1 pennyweight (1.555 grams); 20 pennyweights = 1 ounce (31.103 grams); 12 ounces = 1 pound (0.373 kilogram). The grain, ounce, and pound… …   Universalium

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