United States customary units ounces. The fluid ounce derives its name originally from being the volume of one ounce avoirdupois of water, but in the US it is defined as of a US gallon. Consequently, a fluid ounce of water weighs about 1.041 ounces avoirdupois. The saying "a pint's a pound the world around" refers to 16 US fluid ounces of water weighing approximately (about 4% more than) one pound avoirdupois. An imperial pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter (20 oz). There are varying standards for barrel for some specific commodities, including 31 gal for beer, 40 gal for whiskey or
Pound (mass) and for different applications, the pound (or its translation) has referred to broadly similar but not identical standards of mass or force. The libra (Latin for "scales / balance") is an ancient Roman unit of mass that was equivalent to approximately 328.9 grams. It was divided into 12 "unciae" (singular: "uncia"), or ounces. The "libra" is the origin of the abbreviation for pound, "lb". A number of different definitions of the pound have historically been used in Britain. Amongst these were the avoirdupois pound and the obsolete Tower, merchant's and London pounds. Troy pounds and ounces remain in use only