▪ I. † peson Obs. rare.
[a. F. peson, a balance weight on a spindle, the balance knob on the end of a balance, a weighing instrument with fixed counterpoise and movable fulcrum; deriv. of OF. peis:—Rom. pēso, L. pensum weight.]
A kind of weighing-machine: see quot. 1847, and cf. auncel.
| 1459 Paston Lett. I. 474 In primis, a peson of gold, it fayleth v. balles, weiyng xxiij. unces gold. 1847–78 Halliwell, Peson, an instrument in the form of a staff, with balls or crockets, used for weighing before scales were employed. |
▪ II. peson, -e
obs. ff. peasen, pl. of pease.