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• hertz
  hertz

  noun

  the standard unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one cycle per second. Hz
• Hertz
  Hertz

  noun

  Gustav 1887–1975, German physicist: Nobel Prize 1925.

hertz

¹ American  

[hurts] / hɜrts /

noun

hertzes plural

1. the standard unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one cycle per second. Hz

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Hertz ² American  

[hurts, hairts, herts] / hɜrts, hɛərts, hɛrts /

noun

1. Gustav 1887–1975, German physicist: Nobel Prize 1925.

2. Heinrich Rudolph 1857–94, German physicist.

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hertz ¹ British  

/ hɜːts /

noun

1.  Hz.  the derived SI unit of frequency; the frequency of a periodic phenomenon that has a periodic time of 1 second; 1 cycle per second

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Hertz ² British  

/ hɛrts, hɜːts /

noun

1. Gustav (ˈɡʊstaf). 1887–1975, German atomic physicist. He provided evidence for the quantum theory by his research with Franck on the effects produced by bombarding atoms with electrons: they shared the Nobel prize for physics (1925)

2. Heinrich Rudolph (ˈhainrɪç ˈruːdɔlf). 1857–94, German physicist. He was the first to produce electromagnetic waves artificially

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hertz Scientific  

/ hûrts /

1. The SI derived unit used to measure the frequency of vibrations and waves, such as sound waves and electromagnetic waves. One hertz is equal to one cycle per second. The hertz is named after German physicist Heinrich Hertz (1857–1894).

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hertz Cultural  

1. The international unit of frequency: one cycle per second. The abbreviation for hertz is Hz.

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Discover More

Household current (see also current) in the United States is sixty hertz.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Hertzian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• hertz
  plural
• hertzes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hertz

First recorded in 1925–30; named after H. R. Hertz

Example Sentences

Hertz said it will support Uber Technologies’ efforts to launch robotaxi services in California.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Hertz filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020 before emerging in June 2021.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Hertz shares entered Thursday with a 22% gain in April.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

In 1886, the German physicist Heinrich Hertz demonstrated the existence of electromagnetic waves and discovered radio waves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Werner’s mind drifts; he is thinking about the book in his lap, The Principles of Mechanics by Heinrich Hertz.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr