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• kilo
  kilo

  noun

  kilogram.
• kilo-
  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 ).
• kilo–
  kilo–

  A prefix that means:

kilo

¹ American  

[kee-loh, kil-oh] / ˈki loʊ, ˈkɪl oʊ /

noun

• kilos
  plural

1. kilogram.

2. kilometer.

3. (a word used in communications to represent the letterK. )

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kilo- ² American  

1. 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 ).

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kilo ¹ British  

/ ˈkiːləʊ /

noun

1. communications a code word for the letter k

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kilo- ² British  

prefix

1. k. denoting 10³ (1000)

   kilometre

2. (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

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kilo ³ British  

/ ˈkiːləʊ /

noun

1. short for kilogram kilometre

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kilo– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means:

2. One thousand, as in kilowatt, one thousand watts.

3. 2 ¹⁰ (that is, 1,024), which is the power of 2 closest to 1,000, as in kilobyte.

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Usage

What does kilo- mean? Kilo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “thousand.” It is often used in units of measure. Kilo- comes from Greek chī́lioi, meaning “a thousand.” The Latin translation of chī́lioi is mille, “a thousand,” which is the source of English terms such as millennium and millipede. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kilos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kilo¹

First recorded in 1865–70; shortened form

Origin of kilo-²

< French, representing Greek chī́lioi a thousand

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kilo kilo- kilos

The dross, meanwhile, is sold for as little as 30 yuan a kilo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Pristine, full-bodied matsutakes can fetch as much as 800 yuan a kilo, equivalent to about $54 a pound.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

The Kobe kittens weighed around 150 grams when they were born but now weigh more than one kilo and are starting to eat solid food like chicken and horse meat, the zoo said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Previously the business was paying £7 for a kilo of fish but now they are paying between £16-£17.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Mammachi asked, stretching her hand out, thinking perhaps that for some reason Vellya Paapen was returning the kilo of red rice she had given him that morning.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

More private languages and more codes than ever circulate as kilo- and megabytes among individuals escaping any form of regulation.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin

The Treasure of Villena is a unique trove of almost ten kilos of gold, bowls, bottles and bracelets dating back to the Bronze Age.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

"They also lost two kilos in weight on average and their blood pressure fell slightly."

From Science Daily ● Feb. 25, 2026

On the trading floor of precious-metals group Heraeus in Hanau, Germany, Dominik Sperzel is fielding calls from investors hunting for silver bars—ranging from the smallest, one troy ounce, to the largest, 15 kilos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 1, 2026

El-Masry, who plays Hamed, lost eight kilos for the role and "religiously" studied the mannerisms of the flamboyant fighter.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026

“One special thing, just one each, girls. We can only take ten kilos apiece.”

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez