English Reference
noun

pint

n.
US /ˈpaɪnt/ UK /pˈaɪnt/ pint UK spelling pint's, pint's

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    a unit for measuring how much liquid is in a container.

    a standard unit of liquid volume. In the UK, it is 20 imperial fluid ounces; in the US, it is 16 US fluid ounces.

    Simple

    The recipe calls for a pint of heavy cream to make the sauce.

    In context

    The laboratory technician carefully measured out a pint of the saline solution to ensure the concentration remained consistent across all test samples.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate British English

    a glass of beer or cider served in a pub.

    a serving of beer or cider, typically equivalent to one imperial pint, consumed in a social context.

    Simple

    We went to the local pub after work for a quick pint.

    In context

    After a long day of hiking through the hills, the group settled into a quiet corner of the tavern for a well-earned pint.

    Usage

    Often used without the word 'beer' in British English.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate British English

    a standard container or amount of milk.

    a unit of milk as traditionally delivered or sold in glass bottles.

    Simple

    Don't forget to pick up a pint of milk on your way home.

    In context

    The elderly resident still preferred having a fresh pint of milk delivered to her doorstep every morning by the local dairy.


From Middle English pinte, from Old French pinte, assumed from Vulgar Latin *pincta (“a mark used to indicate a level of quantity against a larger measure”), from Latin picta (“painted”), from Latin pingō (“paint”, verb). Doublet of pinto and Pinto.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin pingō
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated