POUND

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Pound mean? 

• POUND (noun)
  The noun POUND has 12 senses:

1. 16 ounces
2. the basic unit of money in Great Britain; equal to 100 pence
3. the basic unit of money in Syria; equal to 100 piasters
4. the basic unit of money in the Sudan; equal to 100 piasters
5. the basic unit of money in Lebanon; equal to 100 piasters
6. formerly the basic unit of money in Ireland; equal to 100 pence
7. the basic unit of money in Egypt; equal to 100 piasters
8. the basic unit of money in Cyprus; equal to 100 cents
9. a nontechnical unit of force equal to the mass of 1 pound with an acceleration of free fall equal to 32 feet/sec/sec
10. United States writer who lived in Europe; strongly influenced the development of modern literature (1885-1972)
11. a public enclosure for stray or unlicensed dogs
12. the act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows)

  Familiarity information: POUND used as a noun is familiar.

• POUND (verb)
  The verb POUND has 8 senses:

1. hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
2. strike or drive against with a heavy impact
3. move heavily or clumsily
4. move rhythmically
5. partition off into compartments
6. shut up or confine in any enclosure or within any bounds or limits
7. place or shut up in a pound
8. break down and crush by beating, as with a pestle

  Familiarity information: POUND used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POUND (noun)

Sense 1

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

16 ounces

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

lb; pound

Context example:

he got a hernia when he tried to lift 100 pounds

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

avoirdupois unit (any of the units of the avoirdupois system of weights)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

ounce; oz. (a unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound or 16 drams or 28.349 grams)

half pound (8 ounces)

Holonyms ("pound" is a part of...):

stone (an avoirdupois unit used to measure the weight of a human body; equal to 14 pounds)

quarter (a quarter of a hundredweight (25 pounds))

Sense 2

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The basic unit of money in Great Britain; equal to 100 pence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

quid; pound sterling; British pound sterling; British pound; pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

British monetary unit (monetary unit in Great Britain)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

penny (a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound)

Sense 3

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The basic unit of money in Syria; equal to 100 piasters

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

Syrian pound; pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

Syrian monetary unit (monetary unit in Syria)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

piaster; piastre (a fractional monetary unit in Egypt and Lebanon and Sudan and Syria)

Sense 4

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The basic unit of money in the Sudan; equal to 100 piasters

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

Sudanese pound; pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

Sudanese monetary unit (monetary unit in the Sudan)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

piaster; piastre (a fractional monetary unit in Egypt and Lebanon and Sudan and Syria)

Sense 5

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The basic unit of money in Lebanon; equal to 100 piasters

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

Lebanese pound; pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

Lebanese monetary unit (monetary unit in Lebanon)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

piaster; piastre (a fractional monetary unit in Egypt and Lebanon and Sudan and Syria)

Sense 6

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Formerly the basic unit of money in Ireland; equal to 100 pence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

Irish pound; Irish punt; punt; pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

Irish monetary unit (monetary unit in Eire)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

penny (a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound)

Sense 7

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The basic unit of money in Egypt; equal to 100 piasters

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

Egyptian pound; pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

Egyptian monetary unit (monetary unit in Egypt)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

piaster; piastre (a fractional monetary unit in Egypt and Lebanon and Sudan and Syria)

Sense 8

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The basic unit of money in Cyprus; equal to 100 cents

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

Cypriot pound; pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

Cypriot monetary unit (monetary unit in Cyprus)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

mil (a Cypriot monetary unit equal to one thousandth of a pound)

Sense 9

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A nontechnical unit of force equal to the mass of 1 pound with an acceleration of free fall equal to 32 feet/sec/sec

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

lbf.; pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

force unit (a unit of measurement of physical force)

Meronyms (parts of "pound"):

quarter pound (4 ounces)

Sense 10

Pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

United States writer who lived in Europe; strongly influenced the development of modern literature (1885-1972)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Ezra Pound; Ezra Loomis Pound; Pound

Instance hypernyms:

poet (a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry))

author; writer (writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay))

Sense 11

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A public enclosure for stray or unlicensed dogs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

dog pound; pound

Context example:

unlicensed dogs will be taken to the pound

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

enclosure (artifact consisting of a space that has been enclosed for some purpose)

Sense 12

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

hammering; pounding; hammer; pound

Context examples:

the sudden hammer of fists caught him off guard / the pounding of feet on the hallway

Hypernyms ("pound" is a kind of...):

blow (a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon)

• POUND (verb)

Sense 1

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

pound; thump; poke

Context examples:

the salesman pounded the door knocker / a bible-thumping Southern Baptist

Hypernyms (to "pound" is one way to...):

hit (deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Strike or drive against with a heavy impact

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

ram down; ram; pound

Context examples:

ram the gate with a sledgehammer / pound on the door

Hypernyms (to "pound" is one way to...):

thrust (push forcefully)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 3

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Move heavily or clumsily

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

lumber; pound

Context example:

The heavy man lumbered across the room

Hypernyms (to "pound" is one way to...):

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

The children pound to the playground

Sense 4

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Move rhythmically

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

thump; beat; pound

Context example:

Her heart was beating fast

Hypernyms (to "pound" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pound"):

pulsate; pulse; throb (expand and contract rhythmically; beat rhythmically)

flutter; palpitate (beat rapidly)

thrash (beat so fast that (the heart's) output starts dropping until (it) does not manage to pump out blood at all)

flap (move noisily)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sense 5

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Partition off into compartments

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

pound off; pound

Context example:

The locks pound the water of the canal

Hypernyms (to "pound" is one way to...):

partition; partition off (divide into parts, pieces, or sections)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Shut up or confine in any enclosure or within any bounds or limits

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

pound up; pound

Context example:

The prisoners are safely pounded

Hypernyms (to "pound" is one way to...):

confine; hold; restrain (to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 7

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Place or shut up in a pound

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

impound; pound

Context example:

pound the cows so they don't stray

Hypernyms (to "pound" is one way to...):

confine; hold; restrain (to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 8

pound [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Break down and crush by beating, as with a pestle

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

pound the roots with a heavy flat stone

Hypernyms (to "pound" is one way to...):

break up; fragment; fragmentise; fragmentize (break or cause to break into pieces)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something