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steelyard

(stēl′yärd′, stil′yərd)

noun

a balance or scale consisting of a metal arm suspended off center from above: the object to be weighed is hung from the shorter end, and a sliding weight is moved along the graduated longer end until the whole arm balances

Origin: steel + yard (in obs. sense of “rod, bar”)

See steelyard in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A balance consisting of a scaled arm suspended off center, a hook at the shorter end on which to hang the object being weighed, and a counterbalance at the longer end that can be moved to find the weight.

Origin:

Origin: steel

Origin: + yard¹, rod

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