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quintale

quintal

noun kweeN-TAH-leh Rare
Numbers & Measures Measurements

Origin: From Arabic qintar (hundredweight), via Medieval Latin quintale.

Also means

hundred kilograms

Usage Note

Quintale is a unit of mass equal to 100 kilograms, common in Italian agriculture, wholesale trade, and informal speech. The plural is quintali. In informal speech, peso un quintale ('I weigh a quintal') humorously means 'I'm very heavy'. English speakers should note there is no direct English equivalent — 'quintal' is sometimes used but rare.

Examples

"Il contadino ha raccolto dieci quintali di grano."

Natural Translation

The farmer harvested ten quintals of wheat.

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