Centner

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Centner \Cent"ner\, n. [Cf. G. centner a hundred-weight, fr. L.
     centenarius of a hundred, fr. centum a hundred.]
     1. (Metal. & Assaying) A weight divisible first into a
        hundred parts, and then into smaller parts.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     Note: The metallurgists use a weight divided into a hundred
           equal parts, each one pound; the whole they call a
           centner: the pound is divided into thirty-two parts, or
           half ounces; the half ounce into two quarters; and each
           of these into two drams. But the assayers use different
           weights. With them a centner is one dram, to which the
           other parts are proportioned.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The commercial hundredweight in several of the continental
        countries, varying in different places from 100 to about
        112 pounds.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  centner
       n 1: a unit of weight equal to 100 kilograms [syn: {hundredweight},
             {metric hundredweight}, {doppelzentner}]
       2: in some European countries: a unit of weight equivalent to
          50 kilograms
       3: a United States unit of weight equivalent to 100 pounds
          [syn: {hundredweight}, {cwt}, {short hundredweight}, {cental},
           {quintal}]