WEIGHT

The quality of being heavy; that property of bodies by which they tend toward the center of the earth; the effect of gravitative force, especially when expressed in certain units or standards, as pounds, grams, etc.

The quantity of heaviness; comparative tendency to the center of the earth; the quantity of matter as estimated by the balance, or expressed numerically with reference to some standard unit; as, a mass of stone having the weight of five hundred pounds. For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell, Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes. Shak.

Hence, pressure; burden; as, the weight of care or business. "The weight of this said time." Shak. For the public all this weight he bears. Milton. [He] who singly bore the world's sad weight. Keble.

Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast weight. In such a point of weight, so near mine honor. Shak.

A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight; troy weight; apothecaries' weight.

A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight; a paper weight. A man leapeth better with weights in his hands. Bacon.

A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as, an ounce weight.

The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it. [Obs.] Atomic weight. (Chem.) See under Atomic, and cf. Element. -- Dead weight, Feather weight, Heavy weight, Light weight, etc. See under Dead, Feather, etc. -- Weight of observation (Astron. & Physics), a number expressing the most probable relative value of each observation in determining the result of a series of observations of the same kind.

To load with a weight or weights; to load down; to make heavy; to attach weights to; as, to weight a horse or a jockey at a race; to weight a whip handle. The arrows of satire, . . . weighted with sense. Coleridge.

To assign a weight to; to express by a number the probable accuracy of, as an observation. See Weight of observations, under Weight.