Stone (unit)
The stone (abbreviation st) is an informal unit of measure equal to 14 pounds avoirdupois (about 6.35 kg) used in Great Britain and Ireland for measuring human body weight. The stone was formerly used for purposes of trade in many North-West European countries where its value ranged from about 5 to 40 local pounds (3 to 15 kg), but with the advent of metrication from the mid-19th century onwards it was superseded by the kilogram; its use for trade in the United Kingdom and in Ireland being rescinded in the 1980s. It may be unfamiliar to an international audience.
Read more about Stone (unit): Antiquity, Great Britain and Ireland, Continental Europe, Metric Stone
Famous quotes containing the word stone:
“Here, the churches seemed to shrink away into eroding corners. They seem to have ceased to be essential parts of American life. They no longer give life. It is the huge buildings of commerce and trade which now align the people to attention. These in their massive manner of steel and stone say, Come unto me all ye who labour, and we will give you work.”
—Sean O’Casey (1884–1964)