Lewis & Short

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pondus, ĕris, n. [pendo], a weight.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen., a weight used in a scale, Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: pondera ab Gallis allata iniqua, Liv. 5, 48 fin.: utuntur taleis ferreis ad certum pondus examinatis pro numo, Caes. B. G. 5, 12; Dig. 19, 1, 32: pondera publica, Paul. ex Fest. p. 246 Müll.
      1. 2. In partic., the weight of a pound, a pound (very rare for the usual pondo): dupondius a duobus ponderibus, quod unum pondus assipondium dicebatur. Id ideo, quod as erat libra pondus, Varr. L. L. 5, § 169 Müll.: argenti pondera quinque, Mart. 7, 53, 12.
    2. B. Transf.
      1. 1. In abstr.
        1. a. Heaviness, weight of a body: moveri gravitate et pondere, Cic. Fat. 11, 24; 10, 22; 20, 46; id. Tusc. 1, 17, 40: magni ponderis saxa, Caes. B. G. 2, 29; 7, 22: emere aliquid pondere, by weight, Plin. 12, 7, 14, § 29; 35, 17, 57, § 197; Tac. A. 6, 26; cf.: in his quae pondere constant, Dig. 18, 1, 35 med.; Gai. Inst. 2, 196: id, quod pondere continetur, Dig. 30, 1, 47.
        2. b. In plur.: pondera, balance, equipoise, equilibrium: pendebat in aëre tellus Ponderibus librata suis, Ov. M. 1, 13; so Luc. 1, 57; cf. Lucr. 2, 218 and 6, 574: trans pondera (corporis) dextram Porrigere (= ultra libramentum sive aequilibrium corporis), out of balance, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 51; cf. Lachm. ad Lucr. II. p. 380 sq.; cf. also: quis libravit in pondere montes et colles in staterā? Vulg. Isa. 40, 12.
      2. 2. In concr.
        1. a. A heavy body, a weight, mass, load, burden: in terram feruntur omnia suo nutu pondera, Cic. Rep. 6, 17, 17: grande auri pondus, id. Verr. 2, 1, 17, § 45; so, innumerabile pondus auri, id. Sest. 43, 93: magnum argenti pondus expositum, Caes. B. C. 3, 96: aeris magnum pondus, id. ib. 3, 103; Stat. Th. 6, 648: immania pondera baltei, Verg. A. 10, 496: Spartani pondera disci, Mart. 14, 164, 1.
          Poet., of the fruit of the womb, Ov. M. 9, 684; id. Am. 2, 14, 14; Prop. 4, 1, 96 (5, 1, 100); Mart. 14, 151; of the privy parts, Cat. 63, 5; Stat. S. 3, 4, 77.
        2. b. A quantity, number, multitude (anteclass. and very rare): magnum pondus omnium artificum, Varr. ap. Non. 466, 5.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Weight, consequence, importance, consideration, influence, authority, etc. (class.; cf. momentum): persona non qualiscumque testimonii pondus habet, Cic. Top. 19, 73: grave ipsius conscientiae pondus est, id. N. D. 3, 35, 85; cf.: (honestas) aut sola expetenda est … aut certe omni pondere gravior habenda quam reliqua omnia, id. Off. 3, 8, 35: id est maximi momenti et ponderis, id. Vatin. 4, 9: qui pondus habent, id. Att. 11, 6, 1: habet vim in ingenio et pondus in vitā, id. de Or. 2, 74, 302: magnum pondus accessit ad tollendum dubitationem, judicium et consilium tuum, id. Fam. 11, 29, 1: ut is intellegat, hanc meam commendationem magnum apud te pondus habuisse, id. ib. 13, 25; cf.: ut is intellegat meas apud te litteras maximum pondus habuisse, id. Fam. 12, 27; 13, 35, 2: tuae litterae maximi sunt apud me ponderis, id. ib. 2, 19, 2: ejus filius eodem est apud me pondere, quo fuit ille, id. Att. 10, 1. 1.
      Of style: omnium verborum ponderibus est utendum, Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72: fabula sine pondere et arte, Hor. A. P. 320; cf.: nugis addere pondus, id. Ep. 1, 19, 42.
    2. B. Oppressive weight, burden (poet. for onus): curarum, Luc. 9, 951; Stat. Th. 4, 39: rerum, Ov. Tr. 2, 237; Mart. 6, 64, 14: tauri ruentis In Venerem tolerare pondus, Hor. C. 2, 5, 4: amara senectae Pondera, Ov. M. 9, 438: Constantius, insolentiae pondera gravius librans, Amm. 14, 5, 1.
    3. C. Weight of character, i. e. firmness, constancy (poet.): nulla diu femina pondus habet, Prop. 2, 25 (3, 20), 22: nostri reverentia ponderis obstat, Stat. Th. 1, 289: hilaris, tamen cum pondere, virtus, id. S. 2, 3, 65; cf. id. ib. 5, 3, 246.