Why do we use lbs for pounds?

Answer by  patti (29325)

"Pound" is short for "pound weight," which in Latin is "libra pondo." The term was shortened to "libra," which is abbreviate "lb."

Answer by  diva25 (4016)

I think it comes from the Latin word for pounds Libra. I guess it somehow found its way into the English language over time, since English has come from so many different languages. Latin is the bast from which most languages come from, so it stands to reason that there would be some abbreviations come form Latin, too.