- 1[countable] (abbreviation lb.) a unit for measuring weight, 16 ounces, equal to 0.454 of a kilogram half a pound of butter They cost two dollars a pound. I've lost six and a half pounds since I started my diet. money
- 2[countable] (symbol £) the unit of money in the U.K. and several other countries a ten-pound note I prefer to be paid in pounds sterling (= U.K. pounds).
- 3the pound [singular] (finance) the value of the British pound compared with the value of the money of other countries The pound fell sharply to a record low against the yen. for dogs
- 4[countable] a place where dogs that have been found in the street without their owners are kept until their owners claim them for cars
- 5[countable] a place where vehicles that have been parked illegally are kept until their owners pay to get them back symbol
- 6[uncountable] = pound sign Press pound/the pound key. Idioms
weight
it is better to stop something bad from happening rather than try to deal with the problems after it has happened
used to say that someone does not spend their money well, paying too much for large purchases and trying to save money on small things
the full amount that someone owes you, even if this will cause them trouble or suffering You're determined to have your pound of flesh, aren't you? From Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, in which the moneylender Shylock demanded a pound of flesh from Antonio's body if he could not pay back the money he borrowed.
Check pronunciation: pound