A kip is a unit of force used primarily by structural engineers to indicate forces where the value represented in pound-force is inefficient). It is a US customary unit of force that equals 1000 pounds-force). The name comes from combining the words kilo and pound; it is occasionally called a kilopound). Its symbol is kip, sometimes K (upper or lowercase), or less frequently, klb). When it is necessary to clearly distinguish it as a unit of force rather than mass, it is sometimes called the kip-force (symbol kipf or klbf) ). Although uncommon, it is occasionally also considered a unit of mass, equal to 1000 pounds (i.e. one half of a short ton) ).