TROY-WEIGHT, one of the most ancient of the different kinds used in Britain. The ounce of this weight was brought from Grand Cairo in Egypt, about the time of the crusades, into Europe, and first adopted in Troyes, a city of Champagne; whence the name.
The pound English Troy contains 12 ounces, or 5760 grains. It was formerly used for every purpose; and is still retained for weighing gold, silver, and jewels; for compounding medicines; for experiments in natural philosophy; and for comparing different weights with each other.