troy2
(trɔɪ)
Forms: 4–6 troye, 5 troie, 5– troy; also Sc. 5–7 trois, 6 troiss, troyis, (troce).
[The received opinion is that it took its name from a weight used at the fair of Troyes in France, which is favoured by the Scottish forms, trois, troiss, troyis.]
troy weight († weight of Troy), also ellipt. troy: The standard system of weights used for the precious metals and precious stones; formerly also for bread. Also attrib., troy ounce, troy pound, etc. (also ounce troy, pound troy, etc.). Cf. Tower pound.
The pound troy contains 5760 grains, and is divided into 12 ounces. Cf. avoirdupois.
| 1390–1 Earl Derby's Exped. (Camden) 100 Pro j chargeour, iij diocis, et j sawcere, ponderis xx marc. de troye. 1423 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 256/2 Silver is bought atte pris of xxxii s. the pound of troie. 1458 Agnes Paston in P. Lett. I. 422 To do make me vj. sponys, of viij. ounce of troy wyght. 1488–91 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 168 The cunȝeing of fifty tua Trois pundis and ane halue vnce of brokin siluer. 1542 Recorde Gr. Artes (1575) 202 Of Ounces after Troye rate..12 doe make 1 pounde. 1565 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 413 That thair be cunyeit ane penny of silver..of wecht ane unce, troce wecht. 1573 Aberdeen Regr. (1848) II. 10 A troiss pund of brass, pryce v. s. 1582 Reg. Privy Council Scot. III. 481 Quhilk [penny] suld wey ane quarter unce troyis wecht. 1641 in R. W. Cochran-Patrick Rec. Coinage Scotl. (1876) I. Introd. 32 The once trois of bullione. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 259/2 [By] Troy Weight..are Weighed..Bread, and all manner of Corn and Grain. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 759 Take an exact troy ounce of the ore. 1868 Rogers Pol. Econ. iii. (1876) 29 In the rough, it may be said that the cost of producing a pound Troy of gold is fifteen-and-a-half times as great as that of producing a pound Troy of silver. |
b. fig. in allusion to the pound troy being less than the pound avoirdupois.
| 1599 Massinger, etc. Old Law iv. i, There was Cressid was Troy weight, and Nell was avoirdupois. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler (1843) 38 Heads.., who will weigh Rules by Troyweight, and not by the old Haber-du-pois. 18.. J. Parker in W. Adamson Life i. (1902) 4 No namby-pamby speaker, weighing words in troy scales and mincing syllables as if afraid of them. 1906 Daily Chron. 21 Dec. 9/2 Years and years of troy-weight legislation have left unrectified the avoirdupois anomaly. |