unit

¹

[ yoo-nit ]

noun

1. a single thing or person.
2. any group of things or persons regarded as an entity:

   They formed a cohesive unit.

3. one of the individuals or groups that together constitute a whole; one of the parts or elements into which a whole may be divided or analyzed.
4. one of a number of things, organizations, etc., identical or equivalent in function or form:

   a rental unit;

   a unit of rolling stock.

5. any magnitude regarded as an independent whole; a single, indivisible entity.
6. Also called dimension. any specified amount of a quantity, as of length, volume, force, momentum, or time, by comparison with which any other quantity of the same kind is measured or estimated.
7. the least positive integer; one.
8. Also called unit's place.
   1. (in a mixed number) the position of the first digit to the left of the decimal point.
   2. (in a whole number) the position of the first digit from the right of the decimal point.
9. a machine, part, or system of machines having a specified purpose; apparatus:

   a heating unit.

10. Education. a division of instruction centering on a single theme.
11. Military. an organized body of soldiers, varying in size and constituting a subdivision of a larger body.
12. Medicine/Medical.
    1. the measured amount of a substance necessary to cause a certain effect; a clinical quantity used when a substance cannot be readily isolated in pure form and its activity determined directly.
    2. the amount necessary to cause a specific effect upon a specific animal or upon animal tissues.
13. Mathematics.
    1. an identity element.
    2. an element in a group, ring, etc., that possesses an inverse.

Unit.

²

abbreviation for

1. Unitarian.

Unit.

¹

abbreviation for

1. Unitarian

unit

²

/ ˈjuːnɪt /

noun

1. a single undivided entity or whole
2. any group or individual, esp when regarded as a basic element of a larger whole
3. a mechanical part or integrated assembly of parts that performs a subsidiary function

   a filter unit

4. a complete system, apparatus, or establishment that performs a specific function

   a production unit

5. a subdivision of a larger military formation
6. Also calledunit of measurement A standard amount of a physical quantity, such as length, mass, energy, etc, specified multiples of which are used to express magnitudes of that physical quantity

   the second is a unit of time

7. the amount of a drug, vaccine, etc, needed to produce a particular effect
8. a standard measure used in calculating alcohol intake and its effect
9. maths
   1. usually plural the first position in a place-value counting system, representing a single-digit number

      in the decimal system the number 27 has 7 units and 2 tens

   2. modifier having a value defined as one for the system

      unit vector

10. Also calledunit set maths logic a set having a single member
11. See home unit
    short for home unit
12. See stock unit
    short for stock unit
13. a self-propelled railcar

Other Words From

• inter·unit adjective
• multi·unit adjective
• subunit noun
• super·unit noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unit¹

Coined in 1570 by John Dee ( def ) as a translation of Greek mónas (previously rendered as unity ); perhaps influenced by digit

Word History and Origins

Origin of unit¹

C16: back formation from unity , perhaps on the model of digit

Example Sentences

Gunnar shared her idea with members of the adoption unit at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

From Science News

LG says you can "wear the unit comfortably for hours on end" but that the 820mAh battery is only good for "eight hours of operation in low mode and two hours on high."

From Ars Technica

On Tuesday, the San Francisco Bay Area company announced a new subsidiary named Coefficient Insurance that will also be backed by Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, the commercial insurance unit of Swiss Re Group.

From Fortune

“For every dollar that we don’t collect from rent, that’s one fewer dollar we have to run that unit,” Neely said in an interview.

From ProPublica

While it may look like the water would stay contained to your unit, water moves in mysterious ways.

From Washington Blade

“Stay in formation,” a sergeant from the ceremonial unit said over a public address system to the cops along the street.

From The Daily Beast

My father was in an intelligence unit for the U.S. Navy, as he had been in World War II.

From The Daily Beast

Bitcoin began 2013 with a roaring price of $770 per unit, and businesses right and left were converting to the ethereal product.

From The Daily Beast

They then become members of the ultra elite Unit 121, granted premium housing and a well-stocked cupboard.

From The Daily Beast

The unit is used to attack foreign networks, and either it or a sister organization was involved in the Sony hack.

From The Daily Beast

As a fighting unit they are on their last legs and when they will be set upon their feet again Lord K. knows.

From Project Gutenberg

It is built on the "Unit" principle, and is divided between the extreme ends of the lofty structure.

From Project Gutenberg

This gallery division, complete in itself, represents the latest type of Unit organ.

From Project Gutenberg

As we came to each Battalion Headquarters we were told, "These are the remnants of the——," whatever the unit was.

From Project Gutenberg

The first duty of father and mother to their child is to see that they are a unit on family government.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• crew
• entity
• group
• system