Imperial unit (symbol lb) of mass equal to 16 ounces (7,000 grains) avoirdupois, or 12 ounces (5,760 grains) troy; the metric equivalents are 0.45 kg and 0.37 kg respectively. It derives from the Roman libra, which weighed 0.327 kg.
1. 16 ounces; SYN. lb.
2. A nontechnical unit of force equal to the mass of 1 pound with an acceleration of free fall equal to 32 feet/sec/sec; SYN. lbf.
3. A public enclosure for stray or unlicensed dogs; SYN. dog pound.

(1885-1972) US poet and cultural critic. He is regarded as one of the most important figures of 20th-century literature, and his work revolutionized modern poetry. His Personae and Exultations 1909 established and promoted the principles of Imagism, and influenced numerous poets, including T S Eliot. His largest work was his series of Cantos 1925–69 (intended to number 100), a highly complex, eclectic collage, which sought to create a unifying, modern cultural tradition.
He lived in London 1909–21 and then moved to Paris 1921–25, where he became a friend of the writers Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. He then settled in Rapallo, Italy.
His anti-Semitism and sympathy with the fascist dictator Mussolini led him to broadcast from Italy in World War II, and he was arrested by US troops 1945. Found unfit to stand trial, he was confined in a mental hospital until 1958. His first completely modern poem was ‘Hugh Selwyn Mauberley’ 1920. He also wrote versions of Old English, Provençal, Chinese, ancient Egyptian, and other verse.

1. To strike heavy blows; to beat
2. To beat heavily and quickly
3. To make a jarring sensation, as in running.

(1870-1964) US jurist. He was the leading exponent of what became known as sociological jurisprudence: the idea that the law must be sufficiently flexible to take into account social realities in order to provide the maximum of people’s wants with the minimum of friction and waste. He regarded this as a form of social engineering that required the balancing of competing interests, classified as individual, public, and social interests. His main published work is the five-volume Jurisprudence.

(Alfred) (1877-1943) British admiral of the fleet. As First Sea Lord and chief of the British naval staff 1939–43, he was responsible for the effective measures taken against the German submarine U-boats in World War II.

1. Town in Virginia (USA); zip code 24279.
2. Village in Wisconsin (USA); zip code 54161.

British standard monetary unit, issued as a gold sovereign before 1914, as a note 1914–83, and as a circular yellow metal-alloy coin from 1983. The pound is also the name given to the unit of currency in Egypt, Lebanon, Malta, Sudan, and Syria.