kilo

¹ American  

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

noun

plural

kilos

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.

Etymology

Origin of kilo¹

First recorded in 1865–70; shortened form

Origin of kilo-¹

< French, representing Greek chī́lioi a thousand

Example Sentences

Stevens has collected an estimated thousand kilos of used candles from cathedrals, churches and charity shops, so he can personally deliver them to the frontline.

From BBC

“This dude weighs five hundred kilos! We’re never going to budge him.”

From Literature

A kilo of unshelled pistachios has surged fourfold month-on-month since mid-January.

From Barron's

"It feels like 170 kilos fell off my shoulders," she said.

From BBC

"It feels like 170 kilos fell off my shoulders -- I was so stressed, I really wanted to do well and today I felt so much pressure to not let my team down," Bencic said.

From Barron's