ounce1

 
Pronunciation: /aʊns/

noun

  • 1 (abbreviation: oz) a unit of weight of one sixteenth of a pound avoirdupois (approximately 28 grams): melt three ounces of butter in a large frying pan
  • a unit of one twelfth of a pound troy or apothecaries' measure, equal to 480 grains (approximately 31 grams).
  • 2a very small amount of something: Robyn summoned up every ounce of strength

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French unce, from Latin uncia 'twelfth part (of a pound or foot)'; compare with inch1