picul

American  

[pik-uhl] / ˈpɪk əl /

noun

1. (in China and Southeast Asia) a weight equal to 100 catties, or from about 133 to about 143 pounds avoirdupois (60–64 kilograms).

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picul British  

/ ˈpɪkəl /

noun

1. a unit of weight, used in China, Japan, and SE Asia, equal to approximately 60 kilograms or 133 pounds

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Etymology

Origin of picul

First recorded in 1580–90; from Malay pikull, the term for the maximum load that a man using a shoulder yoke can carry

Example Sentences

It had been very hard work, he said, but he had persuaded the men to give up their pepper at eleven dollars a picul.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

The captains, he said, were paying ten dollars for a picul of pepper.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

The price is about 800 Spanish dollars per picul in cash; but in exchange for blue or white cloth, powder, arms, flint, etc., it would be obtained for much less.

From Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 1 by Grey, George

At the date I have mentioned, the charge for screwage was 50 cents per picul, but it has been raised since then.

From The Inhabitants of the Philippines by Sawyer, Frederic H.

In 1896, for instance, the market price ran up to ₱35 per picul, whilst some small parcels exchanged hands at a figure so capriciously high that it cannot be taken as a quotation.

From The Philippine Islands by Foreman, John