pint

American  

[pahynt] / paɪnt /

noun

1. a liquid and also dry measure of capacity, equal to one half of a liquid and dry quart respectively, approximately 35 cubic inches (0.473 liter). pt, pt.

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pint British  

/ paɪnt /

noun

1. a unit of liquid measure of capacity equal to one eighth of a gallon. 1 Brit pint is equal to 0.568 litre, 1 US pint to 0.473 litre

2. a unit of dry measure of capacity equal to one half of a quart. 1 US dry pint is equal to one sixty-fourth of a US bushel or 0.5506 litre

3. a measure having such a capacity

4. informal

   1. a pint of beer

   2. a drink of beer

      he's gone out for a pint

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pint Scientific  

/ pīnt /

1. A unit of liquid volume or capacity in the US Customary System, equal to 16 fluid ounces or 28.88 cubic inches (about 0.47 liter).

2. A unit of dry volume or capacity used in the US Customary System, equal to 1/2 of a quart or 34.6 cubic inches (about 0.55 liter).

3. See Table at measurement

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Etymology

Origin of pint

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pynte, from Old French pinte or Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pinte

Compare meaning

How does pint compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• pint vs. gallon
• pint vs. liter

Explanation

A pint is a unit of measurement. A US liquid pint is the same as sixteen ounces — you could order a pint of iced coffee at your local cafe, but it may just confuse the barista. The term pint is more familiar in Britain than the US, although it's used to measure goods in both places. If you order a pint in a pub, you'll get a large glass holding one fluid pint of beer, and in the UK you can also buy pints of milk. British pints are larger than their US counterparts, though — both countries consider a pint to be one-eighth of a gallon, but an Imperial gallon (in Britain or Ireland) is larger.

Example Sentences

And then perhaps a pint of Brains, I don't know.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Sometimes she would bring him a pint of strawberry or lemon ice cream.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

To put it into perspective, for that amount you could buy a pie and a pint at a game 300 million times over.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

If Wagner’s job seems to require an unusual combination of skills—mastery of fluid dynamics, comfort with public speaking, strong pint tolerance—he comes by them honestly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

I drink the odd pint of milk and leave the bottle so that the milkman won’t be blamed for not delivering.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt