Cooking & Kitchen

Fluid Ounce

Definition

A fluid ounce is a unit of liquid volume, with the US fluid ounce equal to 29.5735 mL and the imperial (UK) fluid ounce equal to 28.4131 mL.

Explanation

Despite sharing a name, US and UK fluid ounces differ by about 4%, which matters in precise recipes and pharmaceutical dosing. A standard US can of soda is 12 fl oz (355 mL). The fluid ounce is distinct from the mass ounce (28.35 g); for water they are close but not equal, and for denser liquids the difference is significant.

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RELATED TERMS

Cup (Measurement)

A cooking volume unit. The US cup equals 236.588 ml; the metric cup is 250 ml.

Tablespoon

A cooking volume unit. The US tablespoon equals approximately 14.787 ml.

Teaspoon

A cooking volume unit. The US teaspoon equals approximately 4.929 ml.

Dash & Pinch

A dash is an informal culinary measure of approximately 1/8 teaspoon (0.6 mL), and a pinch is approximately 1/16 teaspoon (0.3 mL).

Weight vs Volume in Cooking

Weight measurement in cooking uses mass units (grams, ounces) rather than volume units (cups, tablespoons) to specify ingredient amounts.