hundredweight

The hundredweight is a unit of weight used in some English-speaking countries, with two common definitions depending on the system in use: a short hundredweight of 100 pounds in the United States, and a long hundredweight of 112 pounds in the British Imperial system. The abbreviation cwt is frequently used to denote a hundredweight.

In metric terms, one short hundredweight equals 45.3592 kilograms, while one long hundredweight equals 50.8023 kilograms. In terms of tons, 20 short hundredweights make up one short ton (2,000 pounds or 907.18474 kilograms), and 20 long hundredweights make up one long ton (2,240 pounds or 1,016.04693 kilograms).

Historically, the hundredweight derived from counting blocks of 100 (or 112) pounds used in trade. In modern practice, cwt is encountered mainly in shipping, agriculture, and some industrial contexts, where the exact meaning must be specified to avoid confusion. Many jurisdictions have shifted toward metric units, but the hundredweight remains in use in certain sectors and historical documentation.

See also: ton, pound, kilogram.