Legal Definitions - pound

The term "pound" has several distinct meanings, depending on the context. Here are its common interpretations in clear, accessible language:

• 1. A designated facility for holding seized or impounded property.

  This refers to a secure location where authorities temporarily store items that have been taken into custody, often due to legal violations, until their rightful owner can reclaim them or the legal process is completed.

  • Example 1: After a car was found illegally parked and blocking a fire hydrant, it was towed to the city's vehicle pound. The owner had to pay a fine and towing fees to retrieve their car from this facility.

    Explanation 1: This illustrates "pound" as a place where a vehicle, considered impounded property due to a parking violation, is held until the owner pays the necessary fees and redeems it.

  • Example 2: During a police investigation, several pieces of equipment suspected of being stolen were recovered and taken to a police pound for safekeeping and forensic analysis.

    Explanation 2: Here, the "pound" functions as a secure storage facility for items that are evidence in a legal case, held by law enforcement until their disposition is determined.

• 2. A shelter or facility for the temporary care of stray or lost animals.

  This meaning specifically refers to a place where animals, typically pets like dogs and cats, are kept after being found wandering without an owner, until they can be reunited with their families or adopted.

  • Example 1: A lost golden retriever was found wandering near a busy highway and was safely taken to the local animal pound by animal control officers.

    Explanation 1: This demonstrates "pound" as the facility where a stray animal is housed, providing temporary care until its owner can be located or it can be rehomed.

  • Example 2: The community organized a fundraising drive to support the local dog pound, which was struggling to cover the costs of food and veterinary care for the many abandoned animals in its charge.

    Explanation 2: In this context, the "pound" is the animal shelter responsible for detaining and caring for stray or abandoned animals.

• 3. A unit of weight.

  This refers to a standard measure of weight, commonly used in some countries, equivalent to 16 ounces (avoirdupois).

  • Example 1: The recipe called for two pounds of ground beef to make a large batch of chili.

    Explanation 1: Here, "pounds" is used as a unit to specify the quantity of an ingredient by weight.

  • Example 2: The baby weighed seven pounds and three ounces at birth, a healthy size according to the doctor.

    Explanation 2: This example uses "pounds" to express a person's weight, a common application of this unit of measurement.

• 4. A unit of currency.

  This refers to the primary monetary unit used in the United Kingdom and several other countries, often referred to as "pound sterling" in the UK, which is divided into 100 pence.

  • Example 1: While traveling in London, Sarah exchanged her US dollars for British pounds to pay for her hotel and meals.

    Explanation 1: In this instance, "pounds" refers to the currency used for transactions in the United Kingdom.

  • Example 2: The new smartphone cost eight hundred pounds, a significant investment for the latest model.

    Explanation 2: This illustrates "pounds" as a monetary value used to price goods and services.