pound
pound — noun
1. the main currency unit in Britain and a small number of other countries; in the
the main currency unit in Britain and a small number of other countries; in the UK, one pound equals 100 pence.
The train from London cost forty pounds with a return ticket.
prices: [number] + pounds
Emma found a five-pound note in her winter coat pocket.
compound modifier: five-pound note
A cup of soup was only three pounds at the market.
The museum shop does not take cash over fifty pounds.
Tickets are ten pounds each if you book before Friday.
文法句型
[number] + pounds
a five-pound note
用法筆記
After numbers, the usual form is pounds, except with one: one pound, two pounds.
常見錯誤
2. the value of British money when people compare it with foreign currencies.
the value of British money when people compare it with foreign currencies.
The pound rose against the dollar after the bank's announcement.
finance pattern: the pound + rose/fell against [currency]
News of the election pushed the pound down in early trading.
Travel companies lowered prices when the pound became stronger.
A weak pound makes imported cheese more expensive in Britain.
Investors watched the pound closely during the budget speech.
- sterling
common in market reports and international finance
- British currency
broader descriptive phrase, less fixed than pound in exchange-rate news
文法句型
the pound + rose/fell
the pound + against [currency]
用法筆記
Usually written with the when talking about exchange rates: the pound rose, the pound fell.
常見錯誤
3. a weight measure equal to 16 ounces, or about 0.45 kilogram.
a weight measure equal to 16 ounces, or about 0.45 kilogram.
The baby weighed seven pounds when she left the hospital.
pattern: weigh + [number] + pounds
Please buy two pounds of tomatoes for tonight's pasta sauce.
measure phrase: pounds of [food]
This package is just under fifty pounds, so lift carefully.
The cat gained a pound after staying with Uncle Ray.
Each dumbbell weighs ten pounds at the school gym.
- lb
written abbreviation used after numbers
- pound weight
explicit phrase used when you need to separate this sense from the money sense
文法句型
weigh + [number] + pounds
[number] + pounds of [food]
用法筆記
Often comes after numbers or after weigh when you state a person's or object's weight.
常見錯誤
4. the written mark #, especially when giving phone or keyboard instructions.
the written mark #, especially when giving phone or keyboard instructions.
On this phone, the pound sign is below the number nine.
common phrase: pound sign
The voice menu asks for a pound after your booking code.
instruction pattern: press or enter pound
After the access code, press pound for the main menu.
Your password should end with a pound, not a star.
- hash
another common name for #, especially in computing
- number sign
more descriptive and slightly more formal
文法句型
pound sign
press pound
用法筆記
Common in phone-menu directions and older keypad instructions.
5. a place where lost animals or removed vehicles are kept until the owner claims t
a place where lost animals or removed vehicles are kept until the owner claims them or pays a fee.
After the storm, city workers took the loose dogs to the pound.
take [animal] to the pound
Nina paid a fee at the pound to get her car back.
get [vehicle] back from the pound
The brown puppy waited in the pound for two days.
Police sent the van to the pound after the illegal parking report.
Owners must bring ID when they collect animals from the pound.
- dog pound
specific to stray or lost dogs and other animals
- impound lot
mainly used for vehicles or seized property
文法句型
take [animal/vehicle] to the pound
get [vehicle/animal] back from the pound
用法筆記
Can refer to animals or impounded vehicles; nearby words usually show which kind is meant.
pound — verb
1. to strike something again and again with great force, or to make it flat, soft,
to strike something again and again with great force, or to make it flat, soft, or broken by doing this.
Leo pounded the door when nobody answered the bell.
pound + door/table/wall
The cook pounded the garlic into a rough paste.
pound + object + into [result]
Waves pounded the rocks through the long winter night.
Rita pounded the meat flat with a heavy wooden tool.
Fans pounded the table and shouted for one more song.
文法句型
pound + object
pound + object + flat/into [result]
用法筆記
The object is usually a surface or material receiving repeated hard blows, often followed by a result phrase such as flat or into powder.
常見錯誤
2. to move or sound in a heavy repeated way, or to beat hard and regularly inside t
to move or sound in a heavy repeated way, or to beat hard and regularly inside the body.
Rain pounded against the roof all through the afternoon.
pound against/on [surface]
My heart pounded before I walked onto the dark stage.
[body part] + pounds
Boots pounded down the stairs after the fire alarm rang.
Dance music pounded from the club across the street.
The runners pounded along the beach before sunrise.
文法句型
[heart/rain/music] + pounds
pound + against/on/down/along
用法筆記
Often used with against, on, down, or along for heavy sound or movement, and with heart for strong beating in the body.