Standard Weights and Measures
Fifth EditionAvoirdupois Weight
[Used in weighing all articles except drugs, gold, silver, and precious stones]2711/
32 grains (gr.) equal 1 dram (dr.)16 drams equal 1 ounce (oz.)
16 ounces or 7000 grains equal 1 pound (lb.)
14 pounds equal 1 stone
25 pounds equal 1 quarter (qr.)
4 quarters or 100 pounds equal 1 hundredweight (cwt.)
8 stones or 112 pounds equal 1 long hundredweight (l. cwt.)
20 hundredweight or 2000 pounds equal 1 short ton (T.)
20 long hundredweight or 2240 pounds equal 1 long ton (L.T.)
NOTE:--The short ton and the hundredweight above are commonly used in the United States. The long hundredweight and long ton are used in Great Britain; the long ton is also used in mining in the U.S.
Troy Weight
[Used in weighing gold, silver, and precious stones]3.168 grains (gr.) equal 1 carat
24 grains (gr.) equal 1 pennyweight (dwt.)
20 pennyweights equal 1 ounce (oz t.)
12 ounces or 5760 grains equal 1 pound (lb t.)
NOTE:--The carat is mainly used in measuring diamonds.
Apothecaries’ Weight
[Used in weighing medicines]20 grains (gr.) equal 1 scruple
3 scruples equal 1 dram
8 drams equal 1 ounce
12 ounces equal 1 pound
NOTE:–The grain, ounce, and pound are the same for Troy and Apothecaries Avoirdupois.
Linear Measure
[Used in measuring distance]1000 mils equal 1 inch (in.)
4 inches equal 1 hand
3 hands or 12 inches equal 1 foot (ft.)
3 feet equal 1 yard (yd.)
5½ yards or 16½ feet equal 1 rod (rd.) or pole
40 rods equal 1 furlong (fur.)
8 furlong equal 1 mile (mi.)
320 rods or 5280 feet equal 1 mile
3 miles equal 1 league
Square Measure
[Used in measuring area]144 square inches equal 1 square foot (sq. ft.)
9 square feet equal 1 square yard (sq. yd.)
30¼ square yards or 272¼ square feet equal 1 square rod (sq. rd.) or 1 perch (P.)
40 square rods equal 1 rood (R.)
160 square rods or 4840 square yards or 43560 square feet equal 1 acre (A.)
640 acres equal 1 square mile (sq. mi.)
Solid or Cubic Measure
[Used in measuring things that have three dimensions]1728 cubic inches (cu. in.) equal 1 cubic foot (cu. ft.)
27 cubic feet equal 1 cubic yard (cu. yd.)
24¾ cubic feet equal 1 perch (P.)
16 cubic feet equal 1 cord foot of wood
128 cubic
feet or 8 cord ft. equal 1 cord of wood40 cubic feet equal 1 ton, U.S. Shipping
42 cubic feet equal 1 ton, British
40 ft. of round timber or 50 ft. of hewn timber equal 1 ton or load
NOTE:--A cord of wood is piled 8 ft. long, 4 ft. wide, and 4 ft. high.
Liquid Measure
4 fluid ounces (fl. oz.) equal 1 gill (gi.)
4 gills equal 1 pint (pt.)
2 pints equal 1 quart (qt.)
4 quarts equal 1 gallon (gal.)
31½ gallons equal 1 barrel (bbl.)
2 barrels equal 1 hogshead (hhd.)
NOTE:--In the United States a gallon contains 231 cu. in.; 31½ gallons are considered a barrel and 63 gallons a hogshead, but barrels and hogsheads are made of various sizes.
Dry Measure
[Used in measuring dry articles like corn]2 pints (pt.) equal 1 quart (qt.)
8 quarts equal 1 peck (pk.)
4 pecks equal 1 bushel (bu.)
NOTE:--In the United States a bushel contains 2150.42 cu. in.; in Great Britain 2218.2 cu. in.
Mariners’ Measure6 feet equal 1 fathom
120 fathoms equal 1 cable-length
7½ cable-lengths equal 1 mile
5280 feet equal 1 statute mile
6085 feet equal 1 nautical mile
Paper Measure
[Used in measuring paper]25 sheets equal 1 quire (qr.)
20 quires equal 1 standard ream (rm.)
516 sheets equal 1 printers’ ream
2 reams equal 1 bundle (bdl.)
4 bundles equal 1 case (c.)
5 bundles equal 1 bale
Printers’ Measure
[Used in measuring typography]3 points (pt.) equal 1 excelsior
4 points equal 1 diamond
2 excelsiors equal 1 nonpareil
2 diamonds equal 1 brevier
4 excelsiors or 12 points equal 1 pica
14 points equal 1 english
72 points equal 1 inch
Time Measure
100,000,000 shakes equal 1 second (sec.)
60 seconds equal 1 minute (min.)
60 minutes equal 1 hour (hr.)
24 hours equal 1 day
7 days equal 1 week
2 weeks equal 1 fortnight
4.34524 weeks equal 1 average month
3 months equal 1 quarter
12 months equal 1 calendar year
10 years equal 1 decade
20 years or 2 decades equal 1 score
100 years or 10 decades equal 1 century
1000 years or 10 centuries equal 1 millennium
Quantitative Measure
[Used in counting items]2 items equal 1 pair or brace
12 items equal 1 dozen (doz.)
13 items equal 1 baker’s dozen
14 items equal 1 Polish dozen
12 dozen or 144 items equal 1 gross
156 items equal 1 long gross
Surveyors’ Measure
7²³/
25 inches equal 1 link (li.)100 links or 66 feet equal 1 chain (ch.)
80 chains equal 1 mile
Angular or Circular Measure
[Used in finding coordinates on a spherical surface]60 seconds (sec.) equal 1 minute (min.)
60 minutes equal 1 degree (
E)30 degrees equal 1 zodiac sign
57.2958 degrees equal 1 radian
90 degrees equal 1
quadrant or right angle4 quadrants or 360 degrees equal 1 circle
Kitchen Measure
[Used in cooking food]76 drops or 16 dashes or 8 pinches equal 1 teaspoon (tsp.)
3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon (tbsp.)
2 tablespoons equal 1 fluid ounce
16 tablespoons or 8 fl. oz. equal 1 cup
2 cups equal 1 pint
NOTE:--The fluid ounce and the pint are the same as the Liquid Measure.
Liquor Measure
1 shot equal 1 fluid ounce
¾ shots equal 1 pony
1½ shots equal 1 jigger
2 shots equal 1 double
3 shots equal 1 triple
5 fifths equal 1 gallon
5 pints equal 1 yard
9 gallons equal 1 firkin
10 gallons equal 1 keg
18 gallons equal 1 runlet or kinderkin
30 gallons equal 1 aum
31½ gallons or 1 barrel equal 1 wine barrel
36 gallons equal 1 beer barrel
42 gallons equal 1 tierce
72 gallons equal 1 beer/ale puncheon
84 gallons equal 1 wine puncheon
NOTE:-- All of the gallons are standard U.S. gallons.
Fish Measure
[Used in counting fishes]2 fishes equal 1 hand
4 fishes equal 1 warp
33 warps or 132 fishes equal 1 long hundred
5 long hundreds or 660 fishes equal 1 maze
20 maze or 13,200 fishes equal 1 last
