Meaning & use
lb
Last updated
Meanings
abbreviation
A written short form of pound, a unit of weight equal to 16 ounces or about 454 grams.
Grammar: Used after a number in writing, usually with a period in American English (lb.) but often without in British English (lb).
Patterns
- a number + lb
- a number + lbs
The recipe calls for two lb of potatoes.
Her baby weighed 7 lb 4 oz at birth.
Add 1 lb of sugar and stir well.
abbreviationBritish
A written short form of pound, the basic unit of money in Britain and some other countries.
Grammar: Used mainly before or after an amount in writing, especially in older texts; the symbol £ is far more common today.
Patterns
- lb + a number
The book cost 15 lb in the old catalog.
He paid lb 200 for the tickets.
Word forms
| plural | lbs |
|---|
Common combinations
- lb of something
- She bought a lb of cheese for the party.
- weigh X lb
- The package weighs about 3 lb.
- a half lb
- I only need a half lb of butter.
- lb and oz
- The chart lists weights in lb and oz.
- per lb
- The apples cost $2 per lb.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- pound noun
- The full word for the unit of weight or money that lb stands for.
- lbs abbreviation
- The plural written form, used after numbers greater than one.
Commonly confused: lb or £? lb or 1b?
lb vs £
The symbol £ means pounds of money, while lb usually means pounds of weight; both come from the Latin word libra.
lb vs 1b
A common typing mistake: the abbreviation uses the letter l (ell), not the number 1.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'lb' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A number normally comes before the abbreviation: 5 lb. The other options put the abbreviation in the wrong position or add words that do not belong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.