noun
weighing; platform scales
Historical term for weighing goods, especially using a large platform scale. Now largely replaced by modern weighing terms, but still encountered in historical or traditional contexts.
江戸時代の市場では、看貫で米俵の重さを量った。
In Edo-period markets, they weighed rice bales using platform scales.
この資料館には古い看貫が展示されている
An old platform scale is on display at this museum.
秤 is the general modern word for scales or balances, while 看貫 specifically refers to large platform scales used historically for weighing heavy goods.
計量 is the modern term for measurement or weighing in a technical sense, whereas 看貫 is an older, more specific noun for the act of weighing with platform scales.
The term 看貫 combines 看 (look, observe) and 貫 (a traditional unit of weight, about 3.75 kg). It originally referred to observing the weight on a scale, especially for large items. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is associated with Edo-period commerce.