pound

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A public enclosure for the confinement of stray animals, especially dogs.
• noun A place in which vehicles impounded by the authorities are held until redeemed by their owners.
• noun An enclosure in which animals, especially farm animals, are kept.
• noun A container, as on a boat, in which fish are kept.
• noun Archaic A prison.
• transitive verb To confine (an animal) in a pound.
• noun A unit of weight equal to 16 ounces (453.592 grams).
• noun A unit of apothecary weight equal to 12 ounces (373.242 grams).
• noun A unit of weight differing in various countries and times.
• noun The primary unit of currency in the United Kingdom, worth 20 shillings or 240 old pence before the decimalization of 1971.
• noun The primary unit of currency in Ireland and Cyprus before the adoption of the euro.
• noun A primary unit of currency in Scotland before the Act of Union (1707).
• noun The pound key on a telephone.
• intransitive verb To strike repeatedly and forcefully, especially with the hand or a tool: synonym: beat.
• intransitive verb To assault with military force.
• intransitive verb To beat to a powder or pulp; pulverize or crush.
• intransitive verb To instill by persistent, emphatic repetition.
• intransitive verb To produce energetically, as from forceful use of the hands. Often used with out.
• intransitive verb To cause harm or loss to; affect adversely.
• intransitive verb To defeat soundly.
• intransitive verb To attack verbally; criticize.
• intransitive verb Slang To drink quickly (a beverage, especially an alcoholic one). Often used with back or down.
• intransitive verb To strike vigorous, repeated blows.
• intransitive verb To move along heavily and noisily.
• intransitive verb To pulsate rapidly and heavily; throb.
• intransitive verb To move or work laboriously.
• noun A heavy blow.
• noun The sound of a heavy blow; a thump.
• noun The act of pounding.
• idiom (pound the pavement) To travel the streets on foot, especially in search of work.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A compartment in an abattoir in which animals can be kept until they are slaughtered.
• noun A fundamental unit of weight or mass.
• noun A money of account, consisting of 20 shillings, or 240 pence, originally equivalent to a pound weight of silver (or of the alloy used).
• noun A balance.
• To weigh.
• To wager a pound on.
• noun An inclosure, maintained by authority, for confining cattle or other beasts when taken trespassing, or going at large in violation of law; a pinfold. Pounds were also used for the deposit of goods seized by distress.
• noun A pond.
• noun In a canal, the level portion between two locks.
• noun A pound-net; also, either one, inner or outer, of the compartments of such a net, or the inclosure of a gang of nets in which the fish are finally entrapped. See cut under pound-net.
• To shut up in a pound; impound; confine as in a pound; hence, to imprison; confine.
• Figuratively, to keep within narrow limits; cramp; restrain.