kilogram

especially British, kil·o·gramme

[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. 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. kg

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

kilogram

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

2. See Table at measurement

kilogram

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kilogram¹

From the French word kilogramme, dating back to 1790–1800. See kilo-, -gram ²

Example Sentences

Players are weighed every morning and those who return overweight after holidays are forced to train with extra kilograms strapped to their bodies.

Read more on BBC

Four years after a stricken cargo ship caused the largest plastic spill ever recorded, volunteers on Sri Lanka's beaches are still sifting kilograms of tiny, toxic plastic pellets from the sand.

Read more on BBC

California’s level for lead in residential soil is 80 milligrams per kilogram.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Community College District came to an in-person meeting to verify their identity and presented a California driver’s license with the weight listed in kilograms, said Nicole Albo-Lopez, the deputy chancellor of LACCD.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Rhino horn is sold for tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram, and seen as a status symbol in parts of the world.

Read more on Salon