ounce

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Any small amount, a little bit.

   He didn't feel even an ounce of regret for his actions.

2. 2
   noun

   A large wild feline, such as a lynx or cougar.

   The Ounce or the vvilde Cat, is as big as a mungrell dog, this creature is by nature feirce, and more dangerous to bee met vvithall than any other creature, not fearing eyther dogge or man; […]

3. 3
   noun

   Synonym of onza, a particularly aggressive cougar or jaguarundi in Mexican folklore.

   The ounce, a leopard-like creature, is dreaded for its depredations by the Indians of Brazil.

4. 4
   noun

   large feline of upland central Asia having long thick whitish fur

5. 5
   noun

   a unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound or 16 drams or 28.349 grams

6. 6
   noun

   a unit of apothecary weight equal to 480 grains or one twelfth of a pound

7. 7
   noun

   An avoirdupois ounce, weighing ¹⁄₁₆ of an avoirdupois pound, or 28.349523125 grams.

8. 8
   noun

   A troy ounce, weighing ¹⁄₁₂ of a troy pound, or 480 grains, or 31.1034768 grams.

Etymology

From Middle English ounce, unce, from Middle French once, from Latin uncia (“Roman ounce, various similar units”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *óynos (“one”). Doublet of a, one, inch, uncia, onça, onza, oka, ouguiya, and awqiyyah.