Imperial units (of measurement) – a system of units formerly widely used in the uk and the rest of the
English-speaking world. It
includes the pound (lb), quarter (qt), hundredweight (cwt), and ton
(ton);
the foot (ft), yard (yd), and
mile (mi); and the gallon (gal), British thermal unit (btu), etc.
These units
have been largely replaced by
metric units, although Imperial units persist in some contexts. In
January 2000 an EU regulation
outlawing the sale of goods in Imperial measures was adopted into
British law; an exception was
made for the sale of beer and milk in pints.