erg

[ urg ]

/ ɜrg /

noun Physics.

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.

Nearby words

erevan, erewhile, erewhon, erf, erfurt, erg, ergasia, ergastoplasm, ergate, ergative, ergatocracy

Origin of erg

1870–75; < Greek érgon work

Definition for erg (2 of 4)

erg

[ erg ]

/ ɛrg /

noun Geology.

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

Origin of erg

1870–75; < French < Arabic ʾirq

Definition for erg (3 of 4)

ERG

electroretinogram.

Definition for erg (4 of 4)

ergo-

a combining form meaning “work”: ergograph.

Also especially before a vowel, erg-.

Origin of ergo-

combining form representing Greek érgon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for erg

Our horses were brought to the door, and we rode, accompanied by our guard and an interpreter, to the Erg Palace.
At the Court of the Amr|John Alfred Gray
A beam behind which was every erg of energy that the gigantic mechanisms of the planetoid could yield.
Triplanetary|Edward Elmer Smith
They are as the sands of the erg, and they have the weapons of the djinn, as each man knows.
Border, Breed Nor Birth|Dallas McCord Reynolds
These buildings skirt the gardens outside the Erg Palace on the south and east.
At the Court of the Amr|John Alfred Gray

Accordingly, I gathered myself together, mounted my horse, and rode slowly to the Erg Palace.
At the Court of the Amr|John Alfred Gray

British Dictionary definitions for erg (1 of 3)

erg

/ (ɜːɡ) /

noun

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

Word Origin for erg

C19: from Greek ergon work

British Dictionary definitions for erg (2 of 3)

erg

/ (ɜːɡ) /

noun plural ergs or areg

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

Word Origin for erg

C19: from Arabic `irj

British Dictionary definitions for erg (3 of 3)

erg

/ (ɜːɡ) /

noun

informal short for ergometer (def. 2)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for erg (1 of 2)

erg

n.1

unit of energy in the C.G.S. system, coined 1873 by the British Association for the Advancement of Science from Greek ergon "work" (see urge (v.)).

Word Origin and History for erg (1 of 2)

erg

n.2

"region of drifting sand dunes," 1875, from French erg (1854), from North African Arabic 'irj, from a Berber word.

Medicine definitions for erg (1 of 3)

erg

[ ûrg ]

n.

The centimeter-gram-second unit of energy or work equal to the work done by a force of one dyne acting over a distance of one centimeter.

Medicine definitions for erg (2 of 3)

ERG

abbr.

electroretinogram

Medicine definitions for erg (3 of 3)

ergo-

pref.

Work:ergometer.

Science definitions for erg (1 of 2)

erg

[ ûrg ]

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.

Science definitions for erg (2 of 2)

erg

[ ûrg ]

An extensive area of desert covered with shifting sand dunes.