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kilo
[ kee-loh, kil-oh ]
/ ˈki loʊ, ˈkɪl oʊ /
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noun, plural ki·los.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of kilo
First recorded in 1865–70; shortened form
Words nearby kilo
kiln, kiln-dried, kiln-dry, Kilner jar, kiln run brick, kilo, kilobar, kilobit, kilobyte, kilocalorie, kilocurie
Other definitions for kilo (2 of 2)
kilo-
a Greek combining form meaning “thousand,” introduced from French in the nomenclature of the metric system (kiloliter); on this model, used in the formation of compound words in other scientific measurements (kilowatt).
Origin of kilo-
<French, representing Greek chī́lioi a thousand
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use kilo in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for kilo (1 of 3)
British Dictionary definitions for kilo (2 of 3)
kilo2
/ (ˈkiːləʊ) /
noun
communications a code word for the letter k
British Dictionary definitions for kilo (3 of 3)
kilo-
prefix
denoting 10³ (1000)kilometre Symbol: k
(in computer technology) denoting 2 10 (1024): kilobyte: in computer usage, kilo- is restricted to sizes of storage (e.g. kilobit) when it means 1024; in other computer contexts it retains its usual meaning of 1000
Word Origin for kilo-
from French, from Greek khilioi thousand
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
Scientific definitions for kilo
kilo-
A prefix that means:
One thousand, as in kilowatt, one thousand watts.
210 (that is, 1,024), which is the power of 2 closest to 1,000, as in kilobyte.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.