Weights

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /weɪts/

Definitions

1. Objects that are heavy and used for lifting in exercise routines
2. Units of measurement that denote the heaviness of materials or substances
3. A collection of items designed to enhance physical strength training or to provide resistance in various activities

Etymology: "Weights" is simply the plural of "weight," so the story belongs to the singular. The noun descends from Old English "wiht" or "ġewiht," meaning weight, which came from a Proto-Germanic form tied to the idea of moving or pulling something. Its deep root, Proto-Indo-European "weǵʰ-", meant to move, pull, draw or drive, so a weight was originally understood as something that is hauled or pulled along. The modern word is built from "weigh" plus an old abstract suffix "-t," which turned the act of weighing into a noun for the quality of heaviness. Cognates in Dutch ("gewicht"), German ("Gewicht") and Scots ("wecht") show the same root across the North Sea and beyond, and German "Wucht," meaning massiveness or force, preserves the older sense of heavy impact.

Synonyms: mass, load, heaviness, burden, pressure

Antonyms: lightness, featherweight, ease, unburden, relief