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