fluid ounce

noun

1. a measure of capacity equal to 1/16 (0.0625) pint (29.6 milliliters) in the U.S., and equal to 1/20 (0.05) of an imperial pint (28.4 milliliters) in Great Britain. : fl. oz; : f

fluid ounce

noun

1. a unit of capacity equal to the volume of one avoirdupois ounce of distilled water at 62°F: there are twenty fluid ounces in an Imperial pint and sixteen in a US pint

fluid ounce

1. A unit of liquid volume or capacity in the US Customary System equal to 1 16 of a pint (29.57 milliliters).
2. See Table at measurement

Word History and Origins

Origin of fluid ounce¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

For example, a soda can is generally considered a single-serving container and therefore just one serving, regardless of how many fluid ounces it contains.

From Salon

Whole milk costs 3 to 5 cents per fluid ounce, while half-and-half costs between 9 and 19 cents and heavy cream 17 to 32 cents an ounce, according to the lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times

Starting this year, anyone purchasing wine or liquor will be charged an additional 5 cents for bottles less than 24 fluid ounces in volume and 10 cents for larger bottles.

From Los Angeles Times

The imperial pint — 568 milliliters, or just under 20 imperial fluid ounces — was one of Britain’s cherished traditional measures.

From New York Times

Water is rationed, just 10 fluid ounces per person every day.

From Washington Times

More About Fluid Ounce

What does fluid ounce mean?

A fluid ounce is a unit used in the measurement of the volume of liquids.

It is commonly abbreviated as fl. oz. (or fl oz), which can mean a singular fluid ounce, or, more commonly, the plural fluid ounces.

An ounce is a unit used in the measurement of weight. (Both ounce and ounces can be abbreviated as oz.) A fluid ounce is used to measure volume (capacity), not weight—specifically, the volume of a fluid (liquid). In everyday conversation, the word ounces is often used instead of saying fluid ounces, as in I just drank 16 ounces of that energy drink. The abbreviation oz. is sometimes used in this way, as in a 20 oz. bottle of water. 

You’ll often see the abbreviation fl. oz. on the labels of containers that contain liquid or some other kind of non-solid, such as a can of soda or a bottle of moisturizer, to indicate how much stuff the container contains. It is also seen in recipes.

Fluid ounces are used in the United States Customary System and the British Imperial System of measurement.

In the Customary System, there are 8 fluid ounces in a cup and 16 fluid ounces in a pint. There are 20 fluid ounces in an Imperial pint.

A fluid ounce is equal to 29.57 milliliters (1 milliliter is equivalent to 0.033815 of a fluid ounce.)

Example: Standard soft drink cans contain 12 fluid ounces, but they also sell 8 oz. cans.

Where does fluid ounce come from?

The first records of the term fluid ounce come from around the 1880s. The word ounce has been abbreviated as oz. since at least the 1500s. The abbreviation oz. comes from a shortening of the Italian word onza, meaning “ounce.”

It’s more common to see the abbreviation fl. oz. than to see the phrase fluid ounces spelled out. That’s because it’s commonly used on product labels to indicate how much the container holds. On many products, it often appears alongside a measurement in milliliters, which is usually abbreviated ml or mL.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to fluid ounce?

• fl. oz. (abbreviation)
• fl oz (abbreviation without periods)

What are some words that share a root or word element with fluid ounce? 

 

• fluid
• ounce

What are some words that often get used in discussing fluid ounce?

• contains
• liquid
• measurement
• volume
• recipe
• milliliter

How is fluid ounce used in real life?

Fluid ounce is commonly abbreviated as fl. oz. on product labels.

Hi! Due to rising fruit costs the 15.2-ounce bottle was reduced to 12 fluid ounces. We do not offer multipacks of Minute Maid Apple Juice in that size, so we'd recommend reaching out to your store manager to see if they can set some aside for you. Thanks for being a fan!

— Coca-Cola (@CocaCola) October 5, 2020

Slowly making peace with the fact that I will never understand the distinction between fluid ounces and net weight ounces.

— Masket or Casket 😷⚰️ (@smotus) October 4, 2020

I will Venmo $5 to the first person to accurately guess how many fluid ounces of coffee I’ve consumed today.

— wolf (@noie_wolf) September 29, 2020

 

 

Try using fluid ounce!

Is fluid ounce used correctly in the following sentence?

The package only contains 64 fluid ounces of flour and that’s not enough for what I’m baking.