erg

¹ American  

[urg] / ɜrg /

noun

Physics.

1. the centimeter-gram-second unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one dyne when its point of application moves through a distance of one centimeter in the direction of the force; 10− 7 joule.

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erg ² American  

[erg] / ɛrg /

noun

Geology.

1. a vast area covered with sand and shifting dunes, as parts of the Sahara Desert.

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ERG ³ American  

abbreviation

1. electroretinogram.

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erg ¹ British  

/ ɜːɡ /

noun

1. the cgs unit of work or energy. 1 erg is equivalent to 10 ^–7 joule

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erg ² British  

/ ɜːɡ /

noun

1. an area of shifting sand dunes in a desert, esp the Sahara

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erg ³ British  

/ ɜːɡ /

noun

1. informal short for ergometer

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erg ¹ Scientific  

/ ûrg /

1. The unit of energy or work in the centimeter-gram-second system, equal to the force of one dyne over a distance of one centimeter. This unit has been mostly replaced by the joule.

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erg ² Scientific  

/ ûrg /

1. An extensive area of desert covered with shifting sand dunes.

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Etymology

Origin of erg¹

1870–75; < Greek érgon work

Origin of erg²

1870–75; < French < Arabic ʾirq

Example Sentences

Eventually, she was relegated to practicing in a storage closet in the Whitman gym, where she and other injured rowers used erg machines and stationary bikes.

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2022

And if sometimes you hate the erg despite knowing all the good it is doing for your body, don’t feel bad.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2019

The Husky men use the erg only a couple of hours a week during this time of the season, spending almost all of the time out on the water.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2019

Further Chandra observations, performed between 1 and 2 September 2017, confirmed the presence of continued X-ray activity, and hinted at a slight increase in luminosity to LX,iso ≈ 1.1 × 1039 erg s−1.

From Nature • Oct. 15, 2017

They had discovered the X ray, the cathode ray, the electron, and radioactivity, invented the ohm, the watt, the Kelvin, the joule, the amp, and the little erg.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson