The abbreviation.lbs is based on the word "libra." Yet if you see the three letters “lbs” written out, you almost certainly read it as “pounds.” Where did this seemingly random abbreviation come from? 2. in - inch/inches. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, 'Lbs' is connected to the scales used to symbolise Libra, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). She graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and has been writing for Reader's Digest since 2017. The form lb is actually an abbreviation of the Latin word libra, which could mean a pound, itself a shortened form of the full expression, libra pondo, “pound weight”. She is a proud Hufflepuff and member of Team Cap. This was the earliest form of the English language, dating back to the mid-5th century. The etymology of pound has a number of sources in history. \"Milli\" comes from the Latin word for one thousand; but, in measurements, it usually indicates one thousandth, not one thousand. The abbreviation ‘lb’ is borrowed from the ‘libra’ part of ‘libra pondo’. View our online Press Pack. There are a number of different definitions. Pound sterling (symbol: £; ISO code: GBP), known in some contexts simply as the pound or sterling, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the British Antarctic Territory, and Tristan da Cunha. According to Merriam-Webster, it means, “to reduce to powder or pulp by beating,” and “to strike heavily or repeatedly.” For example: 1. Jewish character Shylock lends money to his rival Antonio. The currency shares its name with a unit of weight because a British pound originally held the same worth as one lb of silver. It is subdivided into 100 pence (singular: penny, abbreviated: p). 2. At the time, a pound in weight typically referred to a Roman pound, made up of 12 ounces, rather than the 16 ounces we know today. Nor does it have a B. Get the most popular abbreviation for Foot Pounds updated in 2021 In spring 2017, her creative nonfiction piece "Anticipation" was published in Angles literary magazine. The second word of this phrase, by the way, is the origin of the English pound. The abbreviation lb entered the English vocabulary in the late fourteenth century. This was around the same time libra pondo was first used. 3. Get the most popular abbreviation for Pound Sterling updated in 2021 “Pounds” derives from the name of an ancient Roman unit of measurement, Libra pondo. k; M; When to Use This Abbreviation. The international standard symbol for the avoirdupois pound is lb; an alternative symbol is lbm, #, and ℔ or ″̶. 4. cm - centimeter/centimeters. The primary unit of currency in the United Kingdom, worth 20 shillings or 240 old pence before the decimalization of 1971. 5 ways to abbreviate Pound Sterling. Courtesy Joanna Wilcox iamketoincanada.com, We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), explanations for things you never thought about until now, most confusing grammar rules in the English language, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome C. Attention Reflex Deficit Symptoms D. … At the time, a pound in weight typically referred to a Roman pound, made up of 12 ounces, rather than the 16 ounces we know today. How to abbreviate Pound Sterling? This symbol came about because the abbreviation lb was typically written with a short dash through the top of the l, joining to the curve of the b. A millimeter is one thousandth of a meter. The word libra means “weight” or “scales,” hence why the star sign Libra represents the scales of justice. lbs is an abbreviation already, and doesn't get abbreviated further; it is max abbreviated. The carpenter pounds nails into the wood to make furniture. Pound definition, to strike repeatedly with great force, as with an instrument, the fist, heavy missiles, etc. “Pounds” derives from the name of an ancient Roman unit of measurement, Libra pondo. The abbreviation lb, in turn, led to an even shorter version of the word pound. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. This is also the reason that the zodiac sign Libra, which corresponds to the dates September 23 – October 22, is represented by a pair of scales. The word is Latin and it means "balance," or "the scales." A shortened form of a word or phrase, as N.Y. for New York, Mr. for Mister, lb for pound, ctn for cotangent. Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags … \"Centi\" means one hundred, but just like \"milli\" in mea… Looking for the abbreviation of Pound? If you’re asking, “Libra like the Zodiac sign?” the answer is actually yes…sort of. This goes to show that the word pound was not always just native to the English language. There are different definitions for the mass of a pound, depending on the country. But early uses of the word pound can also be attributed to the Proto-Germanic pundą, and the Proto-Indo-European pend. The most commonly used definitions band today is the international avoirdupois pound. See more. A foot is twelve inches. Find out what is the most common shorthand of Pound on Abbreviations.com! 5 ways to abbreviate Foot Pounds. It’s shorthand for “pounds weight” but isn’t an abbreviation of the word pounds. Meghan Jones is a Staff Writer for RD.com who has been writing since before she could write. See more. Pound can also be used as a verb. The unit is descended from t… For the most part, the abbreviation “M” is used as in settings that deal with money and financing, such as bank and corporate accounting records. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Various definitions have been used; the most common today is the international avoirdupois pound, which is legally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, and which is divided into 16 avoirdupois ounces. Lb is an abbreviation of the Latin word libra. How to abbreviate Pound Force? I just wish to add that Librae is also the reason for the British monetary symbol, usually called the Pound sign £. We recommend our users to update the browser. It is used in the imperial system and the United States customary system. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The word "pound" as a measure of weight originated from the ancient Roman term "libra pondo’. 3. mm - millimeter/millimeters. But a pound in weight is abbreviated to lb as it dates back to ancient times. https://www.sporcle.com/blog/2019/07/why-is-pound-abbreviated-as-lb GBP is the abbreviation for the British pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia, the … Also called pound sterling. A. I know that you’ve tried thinking of the word pound and why it has an abbreviation of lbs. Well, it has to do with where the word “pounds,” itself, comes from. As for the “pound” symbol on your keyboard…well, that’s a whole different story. Pound, unit of avoirdupois weight, equal to 16 ounces, 7,000 grains, or 0.45359237 kg, and of troy and apothecaries’ weight, equal to 12 ounces, 5,760 grains, or 0.3732417216 kg.The Roman ancestor of the modern pound, the libra, is the source of the abbreviation lb.In medieval England several derivations of the libra vied for general acceptance. But, as part of the term libra pondo, this came to mean a pound by weight. So both parts of the Latin term live on today, through the vocabularies of money- and weight-conscious individuals throughout the English-speaking world. These were early forms of the languages that are now spoken in Western Eurasia. We actually owe much of our modern alphabet to the ancient Romans; here’s why. pound definition: 1. the standard unit of money used in the UK and some other countries: 2. the value of the UK…. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. In its current form, pound dates back to Middle English (1066-late 1400s), and was used to refer to a pound in weight. The "pondo" part of the measurement is the origin behind the English word "pound," while the "libra" part is the origin behind "lb" being the … 3 ways to abbreviate Pound Force. The waves pound repeatedly on the beach. Interestingly, the symbol of a British pound (£) is also related to the word libra, as it is an ornate form of the capital letter L. The Italian lira ― and its similar symbol ― also derives from libra. It stands for the unit of weight 'pound'. An early example of the word pound in popular culture can be found in William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant Of Venice. What does GBP stand for? When Antonio defaults on the loan, Shylock demands a pound of his flesh as a security interest. This Latin phrase translates to “a pound by weight.” Our word “pound” comes from pondo, and its seemingly unrelated abbreviation, “lb,” comes from the libra part. Proper abbreviation for "pounds" Lb comes from the Latin word "libra," which means "scales, balances" and it also describes a Roman unit of mass similar to … The Latin usage was shortened to libra, which naturally was abbreviated "lb." The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement. “Pound”‘s Latin origins are also the reason the symbol for the British currency, pounds, is an L—L for libra! lbs is an abbreviation for the Latin word for pound, libra, and this in itself is an abbreviation for libra pondo which means “a pound weight”. Pound definition, to strike repeatedly with great force, as with an instrument, the fist, heavy missiles, etc. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes, including the designation of an ordinal number and as a ligatured abbreviation for pounds avoirdupois – having been derived from the now-rare ℔.. UK blanketed in snow as blizzards sweep country and freeze to last until Weds, Warning issued over Sainsbury’s, Asda & Co-op seafood due to salmonella fears. Acute Renal Dialysis Syndrome B. . The Merchant Of Venice is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. Bridgerton fans point out major historical blunder - but did YOU see it? Get the most popular abbreviation for Pound Force updated in 2020 We adopted the pound part from pondo, yet kept the abbreviation for libra. The word “pounds” does not have the letter L in it. It neither has the the letter l nor the letter b in it.However, every time you see the three (3) letters lbs, you automatically know that it stands for pounds.The ultimate question as to where this originated is actually thrown all around the globe. In the United States, the modern pound unit is defined to be 2.20462234 pounds per metric kilogram. Find out the truth about its name (no, it’s not actually called a “hashtag”). A libra was the basic unit of weight used by Ancient Romans. How to abbreviate Foot Pounds? This abbreviation is only to be used in certain, non-academic writing. When scrawled in a hurry in cursive writing, this resembled the symbol that came to be known as #. And the pound sign (#) is related to libra pondo and the way medieval scribes wrote the abbreviation “lb.” Learn more. 1. ft - foot/feet. Check out these other explanations for things you never thought about until now. It was almost equivalent to today's English pound. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. In fact, Latin is the reason behind many more of the most confusing grammar rules in the English language. A pound (usually abbreviated as lb, plural lbs) is a unit used to measure the mass of something. The primary meaning of libra was balance or scales (as in the astrological sign), but it also stood for the ancient Roman unit of measure libra pondo, meaning "a pound by weight." News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. The most common abbreviations for thousand are, thous. Matt Hancock warns UK 'a long way' from end of lockdown due to high Covid cases, Student dies accidentally walking off cliff on night out as pals heard scream, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Looking further back, the word pund was used in Old English to mean the same thing. Today, this symbol is used interchangeably with lb as an abbreviation of the word pound. Libra is also the Latin word for scales (hence why the zodiac sign is denoted by the balance scales), and scales were an extremely important part of weight measurement since antiquity. Today, pound as a weight is used to refer to a mass that is equal to 16 ounces, or 453.56 grams. Top GBP abbreviation meanings updated December 2020 List of 171 GBP definitions. INCHES is shortened to Ins, centimetres to cm and kilograms to kg. For other inquiries, Contact Us. What is the abbreviation for Million Pounds Per Square Inch ? This was a symbol we know today as the hashtag, or #. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. When bak… Historically, in different parts of the world, at different points in time, and for different applications, the pound (or its translation) has referred to broadly similar but not identical standards of mass or force. The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, or (in North American usage) pound sign. The Latin word libra translated as balance or scales. An inch is 1/12 of a foot. 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