kilowatt-hour

[kil-uh-wot-ouuhr, -ou-er]

noun

1. a unit of energy, equivalent to the energy transferred or expended in one hour by one kilowatt of power; approximately 1.34 horsepower-hours. kWh, K.W.H., kwhr

kilowatt-hour

noun

1. kWh. a unit of energy equal to the work done by a power of 1000 watts in one hour

kilowatt-hour

1. A unit used to measure energy, especially electrical energy in commercial applications. One kilowatt-hour is equal to one kilowatt of power produced or consumed over a period of one hour, or 3.6 × 10 ⁶ joules.

kilowatt-hour

1. A unit of energy: the expenditure of one kilowatt of power for one hour. A toaster running for an hour will use about this much energy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kilowatt-hour¹

First recorded in 1890–95