kilo

¹

[ kee-loh, kil-oh ]

noun

, plural ki·los.

1. kilogram.
2. kilometer.
3. (a word used in communications to represent the letter K. )

kilo-

²

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 ).

kilo-

¹

prefix

1. denoting 10³ (1000) k

   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

kilo

²

/ ˈkiːləʊ /

noun

1. communications a code word for the letter k

kilo

³

/ ˈkiːləʊ /

noun

1. See kilometre, kilogram
   short for kilogram kilometre

kilo–

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kilo¹

First recorded in 1865–70; shortened form

Origin of kilo²

< French, representing Greek chī́lioi a thousand

Word History and Origins

Origin of kilo¹

from French, from Greek khilioi thousand

Example Sentences

Just a few months ago, an average chicken cost 110 rubles per kilo and Monday it is 130 rubles.

From The Daily Beast

Greason said that an old-fashioned NASA-type government launch costs between $5000 and $8000 per kilo.

From The Daily Beast

This defendant was charged with having a kilo of heroin, serious dealer weight, but he had not been indicted.

From The Daily Beast

The best horsetail hair comes from Latin America, at $25 a kilo.

From The Daily Beast

Rhino horn can fetch up to $60,000 per kilo on the black market.

From The Daily Beast

In twenty years the average price fell from about 235 to 135 marks the 1000 kilo.

From Project Gutenberg

On the other side of the fire, reclining upon his elbow, the gnome Kilo is poking the coals with a stick.

From Project Gutenberg

One kilo of indigo yields in this manner a very concentrated vat of from 10 to 15 litres.

From Project Gutenberg

Look at those great clusters of dates—ten francs a kilo, and we pay sixteen.

From Project Gutenberg

Let those who haste to decry modern institutions remember that to-day you can buy bread in Tournus for a few sous the kilo.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use kilo-

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.

Examples of kilo-

A unit of measure that features the form kilo– is kilowatt, “a unit of power, equal to 1000 watts.”

The kilo– part of the word means “a thousand,” as we already know. The –watt part of the word refers to the standard unit of power. Kilowatt literally means “a thousand watts.”

What are some words that use the combining form kilo-?

• kilobar
• kilobyte
• kilocurie
• kilogram (using the equivalent form of kilo– in French)
• kilometer (using the equivalent form of kilo– in French)
• kiloton

What are some other forms that kilo– may be commonly confused with?

• klepto-
• kinesi-

Break it down!

A ton is a unit of measure for weight. With this in mind, what does kiloton literally mean?