arroba
|ar-ro-ba|
🇺🇸
/əˈroʊbə/
🇬🇧
/əˈrəʊbə/
a quarter (unit); the @ sign
Etymology
'arroba' originates from Spanish and Portuguese, specifically the word 'arroba', where it ultimately derives from Arabic 'ar-rubʿ' (الربع), in which 'rubʿ' meant 'a quarter'.
'arroba' changed from the Arabic term 'ar-rubʿ' into Ibero-Romance (Old Spanish/Old Portuguese) as 'arroba' during the medieval period and eventually became the modern Spanish and Portuguese 'arroba' and the English borrowing 'arroba'.
Initially, it meant 'a quarter' (i.e., a quarter of a quintal); over time it came to denote a specific unit of weight (about 25 lb / 11.5 kg) and later also became the common name in Spanish and Portuguese for the '@' symbol.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an old Spanish and Portuguese unit of weight equal to approximately 25 pounds (about 11.5 kilograms); historically one-quarter of a quintal.
An arroba was used to measure olive oil in medieval Spain.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the '@' symbol (the at sign), especially the name used for this symbol in Spanish and Portuguese.
In Spanish, people often say 'arroba' when reading an email address aloud.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/19 22:38