# Where do we get lbs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174 "2001-12-06T04:56:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doughboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Doughboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughboy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/1 "2001-12-06T04:56:39Z")
This seems like a pretty strange way to abbreviate the word “pounds”. So where the heck did it come from? ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/2 "2001-12-06T05:03:42Z")
I think it comes from the latin word for “scales” (the type of scales you weigh things in). I don’t remember my latin well though: “libra,” maybe? “Libre?” ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/3 "2001-12-06T05:04:13Z")
Comes from the Latin word “libra”, for pound. ---
**Author:** ![Doughboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Doughboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughboy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/4 "2001-12-06T05:14:56Z")
Latin, I should have known. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Etaoin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Etaoin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Etaoin)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/5 "2001-12-06T06:34:31Z")
Latin libra, which is why British pound sterling currency uses £. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/6 "2001-12-06T09:23:07Z")
This is one of my pet peeves. Call me a hard-ass if you will, but there is no valid abbreviation **lbs.**. The abbreviation **lb.** works for both singular pound (_libra_) and plural pounds (_librae_). ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/7 "2001-12-06T13:44:25Z")
From cals ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/8 "2001-12-06T15:46:40Z")
American Heritage dictionary defines pound ad deriving as follows: A monetary unit of Scotland before the Act of Union (1707). In this sense, also called pound scots. [Middle English, from Old English pund, from West Germanic \*punda-, from Latin (libra) pondo, (a pound) by weight. ---
**Author:** ![TiffTZell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TiffTZell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TiffTZell)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-we-get-lbs/97174/9 "2001-12-06T20:26:40Z")
I have always wondered the answer to that