Dictionary.com

kilogram

[ kil-uh-gram ]
/ ˈkɪl əˌgræm /

noun

a unit of mass equal to 1,000 grams: the basic unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI). Up until 2019 the kilogram was defined as equal to the mass of an international prototype, a platinum-iridium cylinder kept in Sèvres, France. The kilogram has since been redefined in terms of universal physical constants, including the speed of light and Planck's constant. Abbreviation: kg
a unit of force and weight, equal to the force that produces an acceleration of 9.80665 meters per second per second when acting on a mass of one kilogram. Abbreviation: kg

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Also especially British, kil·o·gramme .

Origin of kilogram

From the French word kilogramme, dating back to 1790–1800. See kilo-, -gram2

Words nearby kilogram

kilocalorie, kilocurie, kilocycle, kiloelectron volt, kilogauss, kilogram, kilogram calorie, kilogram-force, kilogram-meter, kilohertz, kiloliter
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for kilogram

British Dictionary definitions for kilogram

kilogram
/ (ˈkɪləʊˌɡræm) /

noun

one thousand grams
the basic SI unit of mass, equal to the mass of the international prototype held by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. One kilogram is equivalent to 2.204 62 pounds
Symbol: kg
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

Medical definitions for kilogram

kilogram
[ kĭl′ə-grăm′ ]

n.

The base unit of mass in the International System of Units, equal to 1,000 grams (2.2046 pounds).
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for kilogram

kilogram
[ kĭl′ə-grăm′ ]

The basic unit of mass in the metric system, equal to 1,000 grams (2.2 pounds). See Table at measurement.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for kilogram

kilogram
[ (kil-uh-gram, kee-luh-gram) ]

A unit of mass in the metric system, equal to one thousand grams. The weight of a one-kilogram mass is slightly over two pounds.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.