# ounce

/ˈaʊns/ (US) · /ˈaʊns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ounce
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. unit of weight

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · British English

a unit for measuring weight, equal to about 28 grams.

For teachers: a unit of mass in the avoirdupois system, equivalent to 1/16 of a pound or approximately 28.35 grams.

- The recipe calls for eight ounces of butter and two cups of flour.
- The postal clerk weighed the letter carefully, noting that it was just under one ounce and therefore required only a single stamp.

Usage: Often abbreviated as 'oz' in recipes and on packaging.

### 2. unit of liquid volume

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · British English

a unit for measuring liquids, equal to about 30 millilitres.

For teachers: a unit of liquid volume, though the US fluid ounce (approx. 29.6 ml) differs slightly from the British imperial fluid ounce (approx. 28.4 ml).

- The small bottle of perfume contains only one fluid ounce.
- Standard airline regulations typically limit passengers to carrying containers of three fluid ounces or less in their hand luggage.

Usage: Usually referred to as a 'fluid ounce' to distinguish it from the unit of weight.

### 3. a tiny amount

noun · CEFR B2

a very small amount of something, usually a feeling or a quality.

For teachers: a figurative small quantity or scintilla of an abstract quality, such as common sense or evidence.

- If he had an ounce of common sense, he wouldn't go out in this storm.
- The defence attorney argued that there was not a single ounce of evidence to connect his client to the scene of the crime.

Usage: Commonly used in negative constructions or 'if' clauses to emphasize a total lack of a quality.

### 4. snow leopard

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

another name for a snow leopard, a large cat with pale fur and dark spots.

For teachers: a common name for the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), a large felid native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia.

- The ounce is a beautiful cat that lives high in the snowy mountains.
- In older natural history texts, the snow leopard is frequently referred to as the ounce, a term derived from the Old French 'once'.

Teaching tip: This sense is rare in modern conversation; learners will almost always encounter 'snow leopard' instead.

## Examples

- The recipe calls for one ounce of butter.
- The suspect didn't show even an ounce of regret when the judge read the final verdict.
- In a profession where every ounce of precision counts, the master watchmaker spent hours calibrating the tiny gears to ensure the mechanism remained perfectly accurate.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.