The Pound Sign Is an Ornate Letter L
A pound is a unit of weight, a unit of British money, and an enclosure for stray animals. The currency symbol explains itself.
A pound is a unit of weight, the British unit of currency, an enclosure for stray animals, and a verb meaning to strike repeatedly. The symbol £ is a decorated capital L, and the abbreviation for weight is *lb* — both from Latin *libra*, a Roman pound. The money and the weight are the same word because a pound sterling was originally a pound weight of silver. The animal enclosure and the verb are separate words of Germanic origin.
- A unit of weight. *Two pounds.*
- British currency. *Ten pounds.*
- An animal enclosure. *The dog pound.*
- To strike repeatedly. *Pound the door.*
- Latin — *libra*, a pound weight. *The symbol source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pound | A pound. |
| Plural | pounds | Ten pounds. |
| Verb | pound | Pound it. |
| Symbol | £ | £10. |
| Abbreviation | lb | 5 lb. |
- It weighs about three pounds.Weight.
- The pound fell against the dollar.Money.
- £ is a decorated letter L.Symbol.
Why lb and £ look nothing like pound
- libra — the Roman unit of weight, about 329 grams
- lb — the abbreviation of libra, kept in English
- £ — a capital L for libra, with a crossing stroke
- Pound sterling — originally a pound weight of sterling silver
- Libra — also the constellation of the scales, from the same word
Old English *pund*, from Latin *pondo*, by weight, related to *pendere*, to weigh. The enclosure and the verb are separate Germanic words.
Why is pound abbreviated lb?
From Latin libra, the Roman pound weight. The £ symbol is a decorated capital L from the same word.
Why is money called a pound?
A pound sterling was originally a pound weight of silver, so the coin took the name of the weight.