troy weight

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 are the same as in apothecaries' weight, the grain alone being the same as in avoirdupois weight. The troy pound is no longer a standard weight in Great Britain.
[1425-75; late ME]

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      traditional system of weight in the British Isles based on the grain, pennyweight (24 grains), ounce (20 pennyweights), and pound (12 ounces). The troy grain, pennyweight, and ounce have been used since the Middle Ages to weigh gold, silver, and other precious metals and stones. The name supposedly derives from the city of Troyes in France, site of one of the major medieval fairs. The troy pound was adopted by the U.S. Mint for the regulation of coinage in 1828.

      The troy pound is equal to the apothecaries' (apothecaries' weight) pound and to approximately 0.82 avoirdupois (avoirdupois weight) pound and 0.373 kilogram.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 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

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