"ounce" meaning in Middle English

See ounce in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈuːns(ə)/, /ˈuns(ə)/ Forms: ounces [plural], ounce [plural], unce [alternative], ownce [alternative], ounse [alternative], nounce [alternative], nowns [alternative]
Etymology: From Middle French once, from Old French once, unce, from Latin uncia. Doublet of ynche. Etymology templates: {{bor|enm|frm|once}} Middle French once, {{der|enm|fro|once}} Old French once, {{der|enm|la|uncia}} Latin uncia, {{doublet|enm|ynche}} Doublet of ynche Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} ounce, {{enm-noun|ounces|pl2=ounce}} ounce (plural ounces or ounce)
  1. An ounce (unit with much variation, but generally equivalent to 1/12 or 1/16 of a pound)
    Sense id: en-ounce-enm-noun-pnJopeWY Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Units of measure Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 40 7 21 16 16 Disambiguation of Units of measure: 13 26 13 19 28
  2. (rare) A shekel (ancient measure of weight) Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-ounce-enm-noun-2BibHotv Categories (other): Units of measure Disambiguation of Units of measure: 13 26 13 19 28
  3. (rare) A minuscule or insignificant amount or quantity. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-ounce-enm-noun-bsjB0BSQ Categories (other): Units of measure Disambiguation of Units of measure: 13 26 13 19 28
  4. (rare) An eight-minute unit for measuring time. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-ounce-enm-noun-jvoalxnr Categories (other): Units of measure, Units of time Disambiguation of Units of measure: 13 26 13 19 28 Disambiguation of Units of time: 15 15 12 43 14
  5. (rare) A three-inch unit for measuring length. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-ounce-enm-noun-08iBTx4k Categories (other): Units of measure Disambiguation of Units of measure: 13 26 13 19 28

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "ounce"
    },
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "unce"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "ounce"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "once"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French once",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "once"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French once",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "uncia"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin uncia",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ynche"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of ynche",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle French once, from Old French once, unce, from Latin uncia. Doublet of ynche.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ounces",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ounce",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unce",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ownce",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ounse",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "nounce",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "nowns",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "ounce",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ounces",
        "pl2": "ounce"
      },
      "expansion": "ounce (plural ounces or ounce)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "40 7 21 16 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 26 13 19 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Units of measure",
          "orig": "enm:Units of measure",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An ounce (unit with much variation, but generally equivalent to 1/12 or 1/16 of a pound)"
      ],
      "id": "en-ounce-enm-noun-pnJopeWY",
      "links": [
        [
          "ounce",
          "ounce#English"
        ],
        [
          "pound",
          "pound#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 26 13 19 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Units of measure",
          "orig": "enm:Units of measure",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A shekel (ancient measure of weight)"
      ],
      "id": "en-ounce-enm-noun-2BibHotv",
      "links": [
        [
          "shekel",
          "shekel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A shekel (ancient measure of weight)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 26 13 19 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Units of measure",
          "orig": "enm:Units of measure",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              14
            ]
          ],
          "english": "By very little hung the locks that he had; / He draped them over his shoulders",
          "ref": "a. 1394, Geoffrey Chaucer, “General Prologue”, in The Canterbury Tales, archived from the original on 22 Feb 2019, lines 677–678:",
          "text": "By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde / And therwith he his shuldres overspradde",
          "translation": "By very little hung the locks that he had; / He draped them over his shoulders",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A minuscule or insignificant amount or quantity."
      ],
      "id": "en-ounce-enm-noun-bsjB0BSQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "minuscule",
          "minuscule"
        ],
        [
          "insignificant",
          "insignificant"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A minuscule or insignificant amount or quantity."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 26 13 19 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Units of measure",
          "orig": "enm:Units of measure",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 15 12 43 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Units of time",
          "orig": "enm:Units of time",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An eight-minute unit for measuring time."
      ],
      "id": "en-ounce-enm-noun-jvoalxnr",
      "links": [
        [
          "time",
          "time"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) An eight-minute unit for measuring time."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 26 13 19 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Units of measure",
          "orig": "enm:Units of measure",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A three-inch unit for measuring length."
      ],
      "id": "en-ounce-enm-noun-08iBTx4k",
      "links": [
        [
          "length",
          "length"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A three-inch unit for measuring length."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈuːns(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈuns(ə)/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ounce"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English doublets",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Middle French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Middle French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Pages with 4 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Units of measure",
    "enm:Units of time"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "ounce"
    },
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "unce"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "ounce"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "once"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French once",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "once"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French once",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "uncia"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin uncia",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ynche"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of ynche",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle French once, from Old French once, unce, from Latin uncia. Doublet of ynche.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ounces",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ounce",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unce",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ownce",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ounse",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "nounce",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "nowns",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "ounce",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ounces",
        "pl2": "ounce"
      },
      "expansion": "ounce (plural ounces or ounce)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An ounce (unit with much variation, but generally equivalent to 1/12 or 1/16 of a pound)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ounce",
          "ounce#English"
        ],
        [
          "pound",
          "pound#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A shekel (ancient measure of weight)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "shekel",
          "shekel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A shekel (ancient measure of weight)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with quotations",
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              14
            ]
          ],
          "english": "By very little hung the locks that he had; / He draped them over his shoulders",
          "ref": "a. 1394, Geoffrey Chaucer, “General Prologue”, in The Canterbury Tales, archived from the original on 22 Feb 2019, lines 677–678:",
          "text": "By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde / And therwith he his shuldres overspradde",
          "translation": "By very little hung the locks that he had; / He draped them over his shoulders",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A minuscule or insignificant amount or quantity."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "minuscule",
          "minuscule"
        ],
        [
          "insignificant",
          "insignificant"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A minuscule or insignificant amount or quantity."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An eight-minute unit for measuring time."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "time",
          "time"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) An eight-minute unit for measuring time."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A three-inch unit for measuring length."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "length",
          "length"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A three-inch unit for measuring length."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈuːns(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈuns(ə)/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ounce"
}

Download raw JSONL data for ounce meaning in Middle English (3.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (96027d6 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.