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• tera-
  tera-

  a combining form used in the names of units of measure equal to one trillion of a given base unit.
• tera–
  tera–

  A prefix that means:

tera-

American  

1. a combining form used in the names of units of measure equal to one trillion of a given base unit.

   terahertz.

2. Computers. a combining form of like function with the value 2 40 (= 1,099,511,627,766).

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tera- British  

prefix

1. denoting 10 ¹²

   terameter

2. Also: tebi-.  denoting 2 ⁴⁰

   terabyte

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tera– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means:

2. One trillion (10 ¹²), as in terahertz, one trillion hertz.

3. 2 ⁴⁰ (that is, 1,099,511,627,776), which is the power of two closest to a trillion, as in terabyte.

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Usage

What does tera- mean? Tera- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “one trillion.” It is often used in terms of measurement. In terms from computer science, such as terabyte, tera- means 2⁴⁰—which equals, well, a huge number. Tera- comes from the Greek téras, meaning “monster.” Yes, “monster.” Discover more at our entry for terato-. What are variants of tera-?A synonym for tera-, as it is used in computer science to mean 2⁴⁰, is tebi-. Learn more about this combining form at our entry for tebi-.

Etymology

Origin of tera-

< Greek téras monster. See terato-

Example Sentences

"There are two problems," says Paul Rapoport, coordinator for TERA, which has been advocating that women should not be penalized for going topless since 1997.

From Time Magazine Archive