pennyweight

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noun

A unit of mass equal to 24 grains, or ¹⁄₂₀ of a troy ounce.

Similar
sterling
OriginMiddle English penyweight →
RareScrabble 23
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Meanings

nounpennyweight (plural pennyweights)

plural pennyweights

  1. A unit of mass equal to 24 grains, or ¹⁄₂₀ of a troy ounce.

    Synonyms: sterling

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA unit of mass equal to 24 grains, or ¹⁄₂₀ of a troy ounce.

Similar
sterling
Also see
sterling

Origin

  1. Middle Englishpenyweight
  2. Englishpennyweight

From Middle English penyweight; equivalent to penny + weight: it was the weight of a silver penny (¹⁄₂₄₀ of a pound).

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pennyweight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pennyweight

MLA

“pennyweight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pennyweight. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pennyweight,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pennyweight.

Source: pennyweight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.