Zentner

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The zentner (German Zentner, from Latin centenarius, derived from centum meaning "hundred") is an old name for a unit of mass used predominantly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, although it is also sometimes used in the United Kingdom; for example, as a measure of the weight of certain crops including hops for beer production. Like the notion of hundredweight, it is the weight of 100 units, where the value of the unit depends on the context (time and location).

Traditionally the unit was a pound (German pfund), roughly 500 gram – the precise value again being context-dependent – making one zentner equal to about 50 kilogram.

In later times, with the adoption of the metric system, the value came to denote exactly 50 kg, at least in Germany; in Austria and Switzerland the term is now in use for a measure of 100 kg.

[edit] References

• http://www.metas.ch/de/scales/systemch.html (for the meaning of Zentner in Switzerland)

[edit] See also

• Quintal (centner)

[edit] Well-known people named Zentner

Andrew R. Zentner, physicist
Phil Zentner, musician
Shanna Zentner, artist
Si Zentner, musician
Dr Henry Zentner, sociologist