kilogram

[ kil-uh-gram ]

noun
  1. a unit of mass equal to 1,000 grams: the basic unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI). Up until 2019 the kilogram was defined as equal to the mass of an international prototype, a platinum-iridium cylinder kept in Sèvres, France. The kilogram has since been redefined in terms of universal physical constants, including the speed of light and Planck's constant. Abbreviation: kg

  2. a unit of force and weight, equal to the force that produces an acceleration of 9.80665 meters per second per second when acting on a mass of one kilogram. Abbreviation: kg

Origin of kilogram

1
From the French word kilogramme, dating back to 1790–1800. See kilo-, -gram2
  • Also especially British, kil·o·gramme .

Words Nearby kilogram

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use kilogram in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kilogram

kilogram

/ (ˈkɪləʊˌɡræm) /


noun
  1. one thousand grams

  2. the basic SI unit of mass, equal to the mass of the international prototype held by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. One kilogram is equivalent to 2.204 62 pounds

  • Symbol: kg

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for kilogram

kilogram

[ kĭlə-grăm′ ]


  1. The basic unit of mass in the metric system, equal to 1,000 grams (2.2 pounds). See Table at measurement.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for kilogram

kilogram

[ (kil-uh-gram, kee-luh-gram) ]


A unit of mass in the metric system, equal to one thousand grams. The weight of a one-kilogram mass is slightly over two pounds.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.