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Break from the Grind August 10, 2010
TRIVIAL PURSUITS: Why Does lb Stand for Pound?
August 10, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The word "pound" is abbreviated "lb”, letters that appear nowhere in the word for which they serve as an abbreviation.
Reported by Nevin E. Adams
What does lb “really” stand for?
Answer:
The Latin words “libra pondo” describe a Roman unit of weight similar to a pound, and the abbreviation “lb” for a unit of weight is derived from the Latin word libra.
The word “pound” itself comes from the Latin pendere, to weigh, while libra meant “scales and balances”.