Arroba is a Portuguese, Catalan and Aragonese customary unit of weight, mass or volume. Its symbol is @.
The word arroba has its origin in Arabic ar-rubÿ (çÃÂñèù) or "quarter," specifically the fourth part (of a quintal), which defined the average load which a donkey could carry.
In weight it was equal to 32 pounds (14.7 kg) in Portugal and 25 pounds (11.5 kg) in Galiza, Asturias, Euskal Herria, Aragón, Catalonia, València, Castille, León and Andalusia.
The unit is still used by cork merchants and pig farmers.
The unit is still used in Brazil by the agricultural sector, mainly in the cotton and cattle business. The modern metric arroba used in these countries in everyday life is defined as .
In Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru the arroba is equivalent to .
In Bolivia nationally it is equivalent to . However locally there are many different values, ranging from in Inquisivi to in Baures.
In Luso-romance, Ibero-Romance and Occitano-Romance countries, "arroba" has continued as the word for the "@" symbol used in Internet email addresses and other messaging and collaboration software.