pound

A2 · Elementary Countable noun American English

n. a unit for measuring how heavy something is, equal to about 0.45 kilograms.

n. a unit of mass or weight in the imperial system, equivalent to 16 ounces or approximately 0.453 kilograms.

“I bought two pounds of apples to make a large pie for the party.”

“The recipe requires three pounds of flour, though professional bakers often prefer to measure by grams for better precision.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a place where lost animals or illegally parked cars are taken and kept.

n. a public enclosure for the detention of stray animals or confiscated vehicles.

“The police towed his car to the pound because it was blocking the driveway.”

“The local dog pound was overcrowded after the holidays, prompting a city-wide appeal for temporary foster homes.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Computing American English

n. the symbol #, often found on a phone or computer keyboard.

n. the character #, used in computing and telecommunications.

“Please enter your passcode followed by the pound key.”

“In American English, the symbol is typically called the pound sign, whereas British speakers almost exclusively refer to it as a hash.”

B1 · Intermediate

v. to hit something many times with a lot of force.

v. to strike repeatedly with heavy blows; to pulverise or crush by beating.

“He had to pound on the door for several minutes before anyone heard him.”

“The waves continued to pound the shoreline, slowly eroding the cliffs and threatening the foundations of the coastal cottages.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. when your heart beats very quickly and loudly because you are excited or scared.

v. to throb or beat with abnormal force or rapidity, typically due to exertion or strong emotion.

“Her heart began to pound as she walked onto the stage to give her speech.”

“Adrenaline caused his heart to pound against his ribs, making it difficult to maintain the steady breathing required for the competition.”

C1 · Advanced Informal · Slang

v. to eat or drink something very fast.

v. to consume food or beverages rapidly and in large quantities.

“He was so thirsty that he pounded a whole bottle of water in seconds.”

“After the hike, the group went to the diner and pounded several burgers before the waiter could even bring the check.”

C2 · Proficiency Slang · Vulgar

v. a very informal and rude way to describe having sex.

v. to engage in vigorous sexual intercourse. Transitive use.

“The movie was full of crude jokes about guys wanting to pound their dates.”

“The dialogue in the underground comic was intentionally provocative, frequently using terms like pound to shock the reader.”