Long hundredweight is a unit of weight, equal to 112 pounds. Its spelling is based on the English measurement system, which uses archaic terms such as "long" and "short" to differentiate between different versions of the same unit. In IPA phonetic transcription, the pronunciation of "long hundredweight" would be /lɒŋ ˈhʌndrədweɪt/. The long "o" sound in "long" is pronounced like the "o" in "song", while the "ch" sound in "hundred" is similar to the "tsh" sound in "ketchup".
A long hundredweight refers to a unit of measurement used in some countries, predominantly in the United Kingdom, to quantify weight or mass. It is denoted by the symbol "long cwt" or "lcwt" and is equivalent to 112 pounds or 50.8023 kilograms.
The concept of a hundredweight originated from historical trade practices where goods were often measured or sold in units of hundred pounds. However, the long hundredweight can be differentiated from the regular hundredweight used in the United States and other countries, commonly known as the short hundredweight, which corresponds to a weight of 100 pounds or 45.3592 kilograms.
Traditionally, the long hundredweight was utilized in various contexts, particularly in commerce, agriculture, and shipping industries. It played a significant role in pricing bulk materials, such as coal, metal ores, and agricultural produce. The long hundredweight offered a convenient way to measure large quantities and facilitated consistent trade practices within specific regions.
However, with the advent of the metric system and standards set by international organizations, the long hundredweight has gradually been phased out in favor of kilograms and metric tons. As a result, its current usage is limited primarily to historical references or specific local conventions in select industries.
The term "long hundredweight" is derived from the Old English word "hund", which means "hundred", and "weight", which refers to a unit of measurement for mass or heaviness.
The term "long" differentiates it from the "short hundredweight", which was used in the United States. The long hundredweight was used in the United Kingdom and was equal to 112 pounds, whereas the short hundredweight used in the US was equal to 100 pounds. The use of "long" in this context indicates the difference in the measurement system between the two countries.