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Term
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Definition
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acre
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Imperial unit of area, containing 4 roods
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apothecaries' weight
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Imperial system of measurement of weight in which 12 ounces made up a pound
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avoirdupois
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Imperial system of measurement of weight in which 16 ounces made up a pound
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barrel
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing various quantities depending on the type of commodity
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bob
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Colloquial term for a shilling coin
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bovate
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Alternative word for oxgang - 1/8 of a hide
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bushel
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 4 pecks
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butt
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure wine, containing 7 rundlets or 2 hogsheads
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chain
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Imperial unit of distance, containing 22 yards
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chaldron
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 12 sacks. Also spelt 'chauldron'
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crown
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Currency measure, worth 5 shillings
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decimal
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System of measurement based on powers of 10
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decimalisation
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Process of transferring from old British money (pounds, shillings and pence) to new decimal currency
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dram/drachm
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The smallest unit in the Avoirdupois system of measurement of weight (16 drams to the ounce), and also a unit in the Apothecaries' weight (8 drams to the ounce)
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farthing
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Smallest currency measure. 4 farthings made 1 penny
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firkin
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing various quantities depending on the type of commodity
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florin
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Colloquial term for a two shilling coin
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fluid drachm
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing 60 minims
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fluid ounce
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing 8 fluid drachms
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foot
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Imperial unit of distance, containing 12 inches
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furlong
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Imperial unit of distance, containing 10 chains (40 poles)
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gallon
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity, containing 4 quarts. Various different gallon measurements were replaced in 1824 by the standard Imperial gallon
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gill
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing 5 fluid ounces
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grain
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The smallest unit of Troy weight (24 grains to the pennyweight) and Apothecaries' weight (20 grains to the scruple)
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groat
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Coin worth 4 pence
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guinea
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Currency measure, worth 1 pound and 1 shilling
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hide
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Imprecise unit of area, supposed to be the area which could be ploughed in a year by a team of eight oxen, enough to support a peasant family
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hogshead
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing various quantities depending on the type of commodity
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hundredweight
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Imperial unit of weight, containing 4 quarters.
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Imperial
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Traditional system of measurement used in Great Britain and its colonies
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Imperial gallon
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Standard unit of volume or capacity introduced in 1824, containing 4 quarts
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inch
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Imperial unit of distance (12 inches to the foot)
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kilderkin
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure beer. 2 kilderkins made 1 barrel
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league
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Imperial unit of distance, containing 3 miles
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load
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing four quarters
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mark
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Currency measure, worth 13 shillings and 4 pence
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metric
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System of measurement originally developed by the French in the late eighteenth century, based on rational division of weights and measurements into tens, hundreds and thousands
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mile
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Imperial unit of distance, containing 8 furlongs, and further subdivided into chains, perches, yards, feet and inches
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minim
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The smallest unit of measurement in Imperial volume or capacity. 60 minims made 1 fluid drachm
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ounce
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Imperial unit of weight, containing 16 drams (Avoirdupois), 20 pennyweights (Troy), or 8 drams (Apothecaries' weight)
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oxgang
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Alternative word for bovate - 1/8 of a hide
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peck
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 2 gallons
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pence
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Plural terms for penny, meaning the same as 'pennies'
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penny
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Currency measure, divided into halfpennies and farthings. 12 pennies made 1 shilling
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pennyweight
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Imperial unit of Troy weight, containing 24 grains
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perch
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Imperial unit of area (40 perches to 1 rood)
Also an Imperial unit of distance, containing 5½ yards (preferred term is pole)
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pin
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure beer, containing 4½ gallons
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pint
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid or dry goods. In liquid measurements, containing 4 gills
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pole
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Imperial unit of distance, containing 5½ yards
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pound
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Imperial unit of weight (lb), containing 16 ounces (Avoirdupois), or 12 ounces (Troy and Apothecaries' weight)
Also the standard currency measure (£), divided into shillings and pence
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puncheon
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid, containing various quantities depending on the type of commodity
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quart
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure liquid or dry goods, containing 2 pints
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quarter
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Imperial unit of weight, containing 2 stones
Also, Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 8 bushels
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rod
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Imperial unit of distance, containing 5½ yard (preferred term is pole)
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rood
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Imperial unit of area, containing 40 perches
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rundlet
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure wine, containing 15 gallons
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sack
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, containing 15 gallons
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scruple
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Imperial unit of Apothecaries' weight, containing 20 grains
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shilling
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Currency measure, divided into 12 pence
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sovereign
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Currency measure, worth 1 pound
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stone
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Imperial unit of weight, containing 14 pounds.
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tanner
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Colloquial term for a sixpence coin
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tierce
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure wine. 2 tierces made 1 firkin
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ton
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The biggest unit of measurement in Imperial weight, containing 20 hundredwright.
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troy
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Imperial system of measurement of weight in which 12 ounces made up a pound
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tun
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The biggest unit of measurement in Imperial volume or capacity, used to measure liquid. Divided into firkins, puncheons or butts depending on the type of commodity
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Winchester Measure
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Imperial unit of volume or capacity used to measure dry goods, abolished and replaced in 1824 by the Imperial gallon
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yard
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Imperial unit of distance, containing 3 feet
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