Zentner

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A unit of mass equivalent to 50 kilograms, commonly used in some European countries for weighing goods
2. A measurement revealing a quantity equal to one hundred German pounds, typically for agricultural products
3. A metric weight measure designated as 50 kilograms, often applied in trade contexts in central Europe

Etymology: Zentner is a German word for a unit of weight, and its name comes from a Latin source that passed through Greek. The root is the Latin "centenarius", meaning "consisting of a hundred", from "centum" (hundred). The Romans used "centenarius" for a hundred pounds of weight, and the idea was that a standard load was counted in hundreds. Medieval Latin carried this sense forward, and it spread into the Germanic languages, where it became Old High German "zentenari" and eventually modern "Zentner". The unit's real value has varied enormously. In Germany, the Zentner was once set at 100 pounds, a figure that differed from region to region, so the same name could mean quite different loads depending on the town where you bought your goods. Modern German law fixed it at 50 kilograms, which is why the word now sounds like a metric unit even though its name still points back to the hundred.

Synonyms: hundredweight, weight unit