plural foot-pounds
: a unit of work equal to the work done by a force of one pound acting through a distance of one foot in the direction of the force

Examples of foot-pound in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The thing packs from 700 to 1,200 Newton-meters (516 to 885 foot-pounds) of torque and 80 to 150 kW (107 to 201 hp) of power depending on the model, putting it among the top electric superbikes. WIRED, 3 Oct. 2023 The bow generates 222 foot-pounds of kinetic energy and true 100-yard-plus accuracy. Tony Hansen, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2023 For example, most cordless drill/drivers produce about 50 foot-pounds of torque, and the average impact driver delivers about 125 foot-pounds. Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 26 May 2023 By comparison, an AR-15-style weapon has a muzzle energy of nearly 1,300 foot-pounds of force, meaning a high level of energy resulting in a greater impact. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2023 The Hex is a compact tool with a brushless motor that can produce up to 155 foot-pounds of torque, a good middle ground for providing you with enough power but not so much as to destroy these smaller fasteners. Brandon Russell, Popular Mechanics, 14 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foot-pound.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foot-pound was in 1847

Dictionary Entries Near foot-pound

Cite this Entry

“Foot-pound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foot-pound. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foot-pound

noun
-ˈpau̇nd
plural foot-pounds
: a unit of work that equals the work done by a force of one pound acting through a distance of one foot and that is equal to about 1.36 joules

Medical Definition

foot-pound

noun
plural foot-pounds
: a unit of work equal to the work done by a force of one pound acting through a distance of one foot in the direction of the force
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!