hundredweight
noun
hun·dred·weight
ˈhən-drəd-ˌwāt 
-dərd-ˌwāt
plural hundredweight or hundredweights
1
: a unit of weight equal to 100 pounds
called also short hundredweight
see Weights and Measures Table2
British
: a unit of weight equal to 112 pounds
called also long hundredweight
Examples of hundredweight in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dairy farmers are paid based on the hundredweight, or cwt, which represents 100 pounds of milk — roughly 11.6 gallons.
—
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Revenue per shipment declined 1 percent, driven by lower revenue per hundredweight and lower fuel surcharges.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 19 Sep. 2025
What to Know Leaner supply has increased the market value of cows in the U.S., with cattle now selling for more than $200 per hundredweight, or 100 pounds, and calves going for almost $400.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
Recent prices show cattle selling for more than $230 per hundredweight, or hundred pounds.
—Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
But a key measure of pricing strength, known in the sector as average revenue per hundredweight excluding fuel surcharges, jumped 8.9% from a year earlier and expanded from the second quarter, signaling carriers are getting higher prices even as freight volumes retreat.
—Paul Berger, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Revenue per shipment declined 1 percent, driven by lower revenue per hundredweight and lower fuel surcharges.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 19 Sep. 2025
What to Know Leaner supply has increased the market value of cows in the U.S., with cattle now selling for more than $200 per hundredweight, or 100 pounds, and calves going for almost $400.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
Recent prices show cattle selling for more than $230 per hundredweight, or hundred pounds.
—Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
But a key measure of pricing strength, known in the sector as average revenue per hundredweight excluding fuel surcharges, jumped 8.9% from a year earlier and expanded from the second quarter, signaling carriers are getting higher prices even as freight volumes retreat.
—Paul Berger, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Hundredweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hundredweight. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hundredweight
noun
hun·dred·weight
ˈhən-drə-ˌdwāt
-dər-ˌdwāt
plural hundredweight or hundredweights
1
: a unit of weight equal to 100 pounds (about 45.4 kilograms)
called also short hundredweight
see measure2
British
: a unit of weight equal to 112 pounds (about 50.8 kilograms)
called also long hundredweight
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
