body weight

(redirected from Body mass)
Related to Body mass: lean body mass, Ideal Weight

body weight

term in common use for what is properly called body mass and commonly, but incorrectly, referred to in units of mass (e.g. kg). Strictly, body weight is the force due to the effect of gravity on body mass, expressed in newtons (N). See also body composition, body mass index.

body weight

force (in newtons) imposed on lower-limb and foot joints and tissues; product of body mass (kg) and acceleration due to gravity (m/s2); (N = kg/m per s2); body weight is opposed by equal and opposite ground reaction forces


2. the largest and most important part of any organ.
3. any mass or collection of material.

acetone b's
see ketone bodies.
body cavity
see cavity.
ellipsoid body
fimbriate body
see corpus fimbriatum.
body fluids
see body fluids.
gelatinous body
geniculate b's (lateral)
geniculate b's (medial)
Heinz body, Heinz-Ehrlich body
Howell's b's
body louse
mamillary body
body mass
see body weight.
multilamellar body
Negri b's
olivary body
see olive (2).
Pappenheimer body
para-aortic b's
paracloacal vascular body
phallic body
pituitary body
pituitary gland.
quadrigeminal b's
see corpora quadrigemina.
striate body
see corpus striatum.
body surface area (BSA)
trapezoid body
transverse ridge crossing the ventral surface of the medulla oblongata.
vitreous body
body weight
see body weight.
wolffian body


heaviness; the degree to which a body is drawn toward the earth by gravity. See also Tables 4.1 and 4.2.

apothecaries' weight
an outmoded system of weight used in compounding prescriptions based on the grain (equivalent 64.8 mg). Its units are the scruple (20 grains), dram (3 scruples), ounce (8 drams) and pound (12 ounces). See also Tables 4.2 and 4.3.
atomic weight
the weight of an atom of a chemical element, compared with the weight of an atom of carbon-12, which is taken as 12.00000.
avoirdupois weight
the system of weight still used for ordinary commodities in some English-speaking countries. Its units are the dram (27.344 grains), ounce (16 drams) and pound (16 ounces).
birth weight
weight of the newborn at the time of birth.
body weight
the animal's weight. In herbivores this is often debatable because of the variation in 'gut-fill' depending on the availability of palatable food. In the absence of scales the weights of large animals are often estimated on the basis of their age and their girth just behind the elbow. Called also liveweight. See also body condition score.
body weight-to-surface area
determination of many drug dosages is physiologically more accurate when based on body surface area rather than body weight; used particularly in cancer chemotherapy. For conversion table for use in dogs see Table 21.
equivalent weight
the weight in grams of a substance that is equivalent in a chemical reaction to 1.008 g of hydrogen. See also chemical equivalent.
weight gain
increase in body weight for specific periods; the principal measure of productivity in meat animals.
weight loss
the loss of body weight from that previously measured. This estimate must take into account the difference in 'gut-fill' and the effects of developing pregnancy and recent parturition.
metric weight
see Tables 4.1 and 4.2.
molecular weight
the weight of a molecule of a chemical compound as compared with the weight of an atom of carbon-12; it is equal to the sum of the weights of its constituent atoms. Abbreviated mol. wt. See also Table 6.
shifting weight limb to limb
sign indicative of lameness especially in horses; while standing the horse is continually shifting its weight from one limb to the opposite one of the pair.
References in periodicals archive ?
Cachexia is characterized by decreased body weight, mainly lean body mass (LBM), and is often accompanied by anorexia (loss of appetite).
527, Table 2 continues the Table 1 until the Jupiter body mass.
The gains in knee extension strength (16%) and its relative to body mass (15%) were relatively lower than those observed in prior studies with supervised modality using free weight and machine (1935%) (Faigenbaum et al.
The researchers found that for every one-point increase in their body mass index women had a 12 percent lower chance of surviving to age 70 in good health.
Birds were scanned in duplicate on the "small bird" and "two-accumulation" settings of the Echo-MRI software, yielding measures of fat mass and wet lean body mass to 0.
There probably is some plateauing in adults, too, but many of them get bariatric surgery at a healthier state [a lower body mass index], so they often get down to a body mass index that is closer to normal," he said in an interview.
The doctor said a calculation was made of the girl's body mass index by her weight and height and asked how low it was he said: "If I had had 100 children I would have expected her to be the lowest.
The volunteers' physical activity, height and weight, and percentage of lean body mass were measured at the start of the study and at 3 years.
An individual is classed as overweight if they have a body mass index of 25-30, with obese classified as more than 30.
Also, it is possible to estimate the preyed small mammal body mass and age classes from cranial or mandible dimensions (Blem et al.
It accounted for a quarter of Tuffley's body mass and was so large it had started putting pressure on internal organs.
It means that this year's winner of the opening major has a body mass index of 28.