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Weight definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WEIGHT, n. Wate. [See Weigh.]
1. The quantity of a body, ascertained by the balance; in a philosophical sense, that quality of bodies by which they tend towards the center of the earth in a line perpendicular to its surface. In short, weight is gravity, and the weight of a particular body is the amount of its gravity, or of the force with which it tends to the center. The weight of a body is in direct proportion to its quantity of matter.
2. A mass of iron, lead, brass or other metal, to be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as a weight of an ounce, a pound, a quarter of a hundred, etc. The weights of nations are different except those of England and the United States, which are the same.
3. A ponderous mass; something heavy.
A man leaps better with weights in his hands.
4. Pressure; burden; as the weight of grief; weight of care; weight of business; weight of government.
5. Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness; as a argument of great weight; a consideration of vast weight. The dignity of a mans character adds weight to his words.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
2: sports equipment used in calisthenic exercises and weightlifting; it is not attached to anything and is raised and lowered by use of the hands and arms [syn: weight, free weight, exercising weight]
3: the relative importance granted to something; "his opinion carries great weight"; "the progression implied an increasing weightiness of the items listed" [syn: weight, weightiness]
4: an artifact that is heavy
5: an oppressive feeling of heavy force; "bowed down by the weight of responsibility"
6: a system of units used to express the weight of something [syn: system of weights, weight]
7: a unit used to measure weight; "he placed two weights in the scale pan" [syn: weight unit, weight]
8: (statistics) a coefficient assigned to elements of a frequency distribution in order to represent their relative importance [syn: weight, weighting] v
1: weight down with a load [syn: burden, burthen, weight, weight down] [ant: disburden, unburden]
2: present with a bias; "He biased his presentation so as to please the share holders" [syn: slant, angle, weight]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English wight, weght, from Old English wiht; akin to Old Norse vætt weight, Old English wegan to weigh Date: before 12th century 1. a. the amount that a thing weighs b. (1) the standard or established amount that a thing should weigh (2) one of the classes into which contestants in a sports event are divided according to body weight (3) poundage required to be carried by a horse in a handicap race 2. a. a quantity or thing weighing a fixed and usually specified amount b. a heavy object (as a metal ball) thrown, put, or lifted as an athletic exercise or contest 3. a. a unit of weight or mass — see metric system table b. a piece of material (as metal) of known specified weight for use in weighing articles c. a system of related units of weight 4. a. something heavy ; load b. a heavy object to hold or press something down or to counterbalance 5. a. burden, pressure <the weight of their responsibilities> b. the quality or state of being ponderous c. corpulence 6. a. relative heaviness ; mass b. the force with which a body is attracted toward the earth or a celestial body by gravitation and which is equal to the product of the mass and the local gravitational acceleration 7. a. the relative importance or authority accorded something <the weight of her opinions> b. measurable influence especially on others <throwing his weight behind the proposal> 8. overpowering force 9. the quality (as lightness) that makes a fabric or garment suitable for a particular use or season — often used in combination <summer-weight> 10. a numerical coefficient assigned to an item to express its relative importance in a frequency distribution 11. the degree of thickness of the strokes of a type character Synonyms: see importance, influence II. transitive verb Date: 1647 1. to oppress with a burden <weighted down with cares> 2. a. to load or make heavy with or as if with a weight b. to increase in heaviness by adding an ingredient 3. a. weigh 1 b. to feel the weight of ; heft 4. to assign a statistical weight to 5. to cause to incline in a particular direction by manipulation <the tax structure…which was weighted so heavily in favor of the upper classes — A. S. Link> 6. to shift the burden of weight upon <weight the inside ski>

Britannica Concise

Gravitational force of attraction on an object, caused by the presence of a massive second object, such as the earth or moon. It is a consequence of the universal law of gravitation. At the same location, more massive (see mass) objects weigh more. The farther an object is from the earth, the less it weighs. Though the mass of a given object remains constant, its weight varies according to its location. For example, an object's weight on the moon is about one-sixth of its weight on earth, because the moon has less mass and a smaller radius. Weight W is the product of an object's mass m and the acceleration of gravity g at the location of the object, or W = mg. Since weight is a measure of force rather than of mass, the units of weight are newtons (N).

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 Physics a the force experienced by a body as a result of the earth's gravitation (cf. MASS(1) n. 8). b any similar force with which a body tends to a centre of attraction. 2 the heaviness of a body regarded as a property of it; its relative mass or the quantity of matter contained by it giving rise to a downward force (is twice your weight; kept in position by its weight). 3 a the quantitative expression of a body's weight (has a weight of three pounds). b a scale of such weights (troy weight). 4 a body of a known weight for use in weighing. 5 a heavy body esp. used in a mechanism etc. (a clock worked by weights). 6 a load or burden (a weight off my mind). 7 a influence, importance (carried weight with the public). b preponderance (the weight of evidence was against them). 8 a heavy object thrown as an athletic exercise; = SHOT(1) 7. 9 the surface density of cloth etc. as a measure of its suitability. --v.tr. 1 a attach a weight to. b hold down with a weight or weights. 2 (foll. by with) impede or burden. 3 Statistics multiply the components of (an average) by factors to take account of their importance. 4 assign a handicap weight to (a horse). 5 treat (a fabric) with a mineral etc. to make it seem stouter. Phrases and idioms: put on weight 1 increase one's weight. 2 get fat. throw one's weight about (or around) colloq. be unpleasantly self-assertive. worth one's weight in gold (of a person) exceedingly useful or helpful. Etymology: OE (ge)wiht f. Gmc: cf. WEIGH(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Weight Weight, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Weighting.] 1. To load with a weight or weights; to load down; to make heavy; to attach weights to; as, to weight a horse or a jockey at a race; to weight a whip handle. The arrows of satire, . . . weighted with sense. --Coleridge. 2. (Astron. & Physics) To assign a weight to; to express by a number the probable accuracy of, as an observation. See Weight of observations, under Weight.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Weight Weight, n. [OE. weght, wight, AS. gewiht; akin to D. gewigt, G. gewicht, Icel. v[ae]tt, Sw. vigt, Dan. v[ae]gt. See Weigh, v. t.] 1. The quality of being heavy; that property of bodies by which they tend toward the center of the earth; the effect of gravitative force, especially when expressed in certain units or standards, as pounds, grams, etc. Note: Weight differs from gravity in being the effect of gravity, or the downward pressure of a body under the influence of gravity; hence, it constitutes a measure of the force of gravity, and being the resultant of all the forces exerted by gravity upon the different particles of the body, it is proportional to the quantity of matter in the body. 2. The quantity of heaviness; comparative tendency to the center of the earth; the quantity of matter as estimated by the balance, or expressed numerically with reference to some standard unit; as, a mass of stone having the weight of five hundred pounds. For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell, Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes. --Shak. 3. Hence, pressure; burden; as, the weight of care or business. ``The weight of this said time.'' --Shak. For the public all this weight he bears. --Milton. [He] who singly bore the world's sad weight. --Keble. 4. Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast weight. In such a point of weight, so near mine honor. --Shak. 5. A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight; troy weight; apothecaries' weight. 6. A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight; a paper weight. A man leapeth better with weights in his hands. --Bacon. 7. A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as, an ounce weight. 8. (Mech.) The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it. [Obs.] Atomic weight. (Chem.) See under Atomic, and cf. Element. Dead weight, Feather weight, Heavy weight, Light weight, etc. See under Dead, Feather, etc. Weight of observation (Astron. & Physics), a number expressing the most probable relative value of each observation in determining the result of a series of observations of the same kind. Syn: Ponderousness; gravity; heaviness; pressure; burden; load; importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Weight Weight, v. t. (Dyeing) To load (fabrics) as with barite, to increase the weight, etc.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(weights, weighting, weighted) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. The weight of a person or thing is how heavy they are, measured in units such as kilograms, pounds, or tons. What is your height and weight?... This reduced the weight of the load... Turkeys can reach enormous weights of up to 50 pounds. N-VAR: oft amount in N, with poss, N of amount • If someone loses weight, they become lighter. If they gain weight or put on weight, they become heavier. I'm lucky really as I never put on weight... He lost two stone in weight during his time there. PHRASE: V inflects 2. A person's or thing's weight is the fact that they are very heavy. Despite the vehicle's size and weight it is not difficult to drive. N-UNCOUNT: with poss 3. If you move your weight, you change position so that most of the pressure of your body is on a particular part of your body. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other... He kept the weight from his left leg. N-SING: poss/the N 4. Weights are objects which weigh a known amount and which people lift as a form of exercise. I was in the gym lifting weights. N-COUNT: usu pl 5. Weights are metal objects which weigh a known amount and which are used on a set of scales to weigh other things. N-COUNT 6. You can refer to a heavy object as a weight, especially when you have to lift it. Straining to lift heavy weights can lead to a rise in blood pressure. N-COUNT 7. If you weight something, you make it heavier by adding something to it, for example in order to stop it from moving easily. It can be sewn into curtain hems to weight the curtain and so allow it to hang better. VERB: V n 8. If you weight things, you give them different values according to how important or significant they are. ...a computer program which weights the different transitions according to their likelihood... This takes account of the number of countries in which a company wins approval for a new drug, weighted by the size of each country's market. VERB: V n, V-ed 9. If something is given a particular weight, it is given a particular value according to how important or significant it is. The scientists involved put different weight on the conclusions of different models... = weighting N-VAR 10. If someone or something gives weight to what a person says, thinks, or does, they emphasize its significance. The fact that he is gone has given more weight to fears that he may try to launch a civil war... 11. If you give something or someone weight, you consider them to be very important or influential in a particular situation. Consumers generally place more weight on negative information than on the positive when deciding what to buy. N-UNCOUNT 12. see also weighting, dead weight 13. If a person or their opinion carries weight, they are respected and are able to influence people. That argument no longer carries as much weight... Senator Kerry carries considerable weight in Washington. PHRASE: V inflects 14. If you say that someone or something is worth their weight in gold, you are emphasizing that they are so useful, helpful, or valuable that you feel you could not manage without them. Any successful manager is worth his weight in gold. PHRASE: v-link PHR [emphasis] 15. If you pull your weight, you work as hard as everyone else who is involved in the same task or activity. He accused the team of not pulling their weight. PHRASE: V inflects 16. a weight off your mind: see mind

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wat (Measure of quantity) mishqal, (mishqol (Eze 4:10), from shaqkal, "to weigh" 'ebhen, "a stone" used for weighing in the balance): Weights were commonly of stone or bronze (or of lead, Zec 5:7,8). They were of various forms, such as the lion-shaped weights of Babylonia and Assyria, or in the form of birds and other animals. The Hebrew and Phoenician weights, when made of stone, were barrel-shaped or spindle-shaped, but in bronze they were often cubical or octagonal or with numerous faces (see illustration under WEIGHTS AND MEASURES). Hemispherical or dome-shaped stone weights have been found in Palestine (PEFS, 1902, p. 344; 1903, p. 117; 1904, p. 209).

Figurative: The phrase "without weight" (2Ki 25:16) signifies a quantity too great to be estimated. "Weight of glory" (2Co 4:17, baros) has a similar meaning, but with a spiritual reference. "Weighty," "weightier" (Mt 23:23; 2Co 10:10, barus, baruteros), signify what is important. The Greek (ogkos) (Heb 12:1), is used in the sense of burden, hindrance, as is also the Hebrew neTel (Pr 27:3).

H. Porter

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Heaviness, gravity, ponderousness, ponderosity. 2. Pressure, burden, load. 3. Importance, influence, power, efficacy, consequence, moment, significance, import, pith. 4. Scale, mode of estimating weight, measure, system of weighing. II. v. a. Load, make heavy, load down.

Moby Thesaurus

Indian club, accent, affliction, amperage, armipotence, ascendancy, authoritativeness, authority, balance, ballast, barbell, be heavy, beef, bitter cup, bitter draft, bitter draught, bitter pill, black power, bob, brim, brute force, buckram, burden, burden of care, burden with, burthen, cankerworm of care, carat, care, cargo, carry weight, centigram, ceremonial, ceremoniousness, ceremony, charge, charisma, charm, chock, clout, cogence, cogency, compulsion, concern, concernment, congest, consequence, consequentiality, consideration, contaminate, control, corrupt, counterbalance, cram, credit, cross, crowd, crown of thorns, cumber, cumbrance, curse, deadweight, debase, decagram, decigram, demand, difficulty, dignity, dint, disadvantage, distress, doctor, dominance, domination, dram, dram avoirdupois, drive, dumbbell, duress, duty, dyne, effect, effectiveness, effectuality, efficacy, embarrassment, eminence, emphasis, enchantment, encumber, encumbrance, energy, enjoin, esteem, exact, excellence, exerciser, extrinsicality, fasten upon, favor, fill, fill to overflowing, fill up, flower power, force, force majeure, forcefulness, form, formality, formalization, foul up, freight, freight with, full blast, full force, gall, gall and wormwood, good feeling, grain, gram, gravity, greatness, grievance, hamper, handicap, have weight, heft, high order, high rank, hold, hold the scales, horse, hundredweight, impediment, impedimenta, impersonality, import, importance, impose, impose on, impose upon, imposition, incidental power, inconvenience, inflict on, inflict upon, infliction, influence, influentiality, influentialness, insinuation, interest, jam, jam-pack, justness, kilo, kilogram, lade, lay, lay on, lead, leadership, leverage, levy, lie heavy, load, long horse, lumber, magnetism, magnitude, main force, main strength, mana, mark, mass, mastery, materiality, megaton, merit, might, might and main, mightiness, milligram, millstone, mole, moment, momentousness, moxie, muscle power, note, onus, oppression, ounce, ounce avoirdupois, ounce troy, overfill, pack, pack of troubles, pad, parallel bars, paramountcy, peck of troubles, penalty, pennyweight, personality, persuasion, pith, pizzazz, place, plumb, plummet, pomp, pomposity, poop, potence, potency, potentiality, pound, pound avoirdupois, pound troy, poundal, power, power pack, power structure, power struggle, powerfulness, precedence, predominance, preeminence, preponderance, prepotency, pressure, prestige, primacy, primness, priority, productiveness, productivity, prominence, puissance, pull, punch, punching bag, purchase, push, put, put down, put on, put upon, ram in, rank, reign, repute, rigidness, rings, ritual, rituality, rowing machine, rule, saddle, saddle with, sandbag, satiate, saturate, say, scruple, sea of troubles, self-importance, seniority, set, side horse, significance, signification, sinew, sinker, slug, solemnity, solidity, sophisticate, sorrow, soundness, spoil, starchiness, stature, steam, stiffness, stiltedness, stone, strength, stress, strike a balance, strong arm, stuff, stylization, suasion, subject to, substantiality, subtle influence, suggestion, supercharge, superiority, superpower, supremacy, surfeit, sway, task, tax, thorn, tip the scales, ton, top off, trampoline, trapeze, trouble, units of weight, upper hand, validity, value, vehemence, vigor, vim, virility, virtue, virulence, vitality, wad, waters of bitterness, wattage, weigh, weigh down, weigh heavy, weigh in, weigh out, weight down, weight down with, weightiness, whip hand, white elephant, woe, worth, yoke with