kilogram

[ kil-uh-gram ]

/ ˈkɪl əˌgræm /

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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. 2021

How to use kilogram in a sentence

It’s primarily derived from fossil fuels by subjecting methane to steam, high heat, and pressure to break it into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and costs about $1 per kilogram.
Scientists Just Laid Out a Game Plan for Building a Clean Hydrogen Economy|Edd Gent|August 16, 2021|Singularity Hub
You can just eyeball it—oh, this is obviously pounds or kilograms.
It took a pandemic, but the US finally has (some) centralized medical data|Cat Ferguson|June 21, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The labels estimate a product’s environmental impact from cradle to grave as a carbon equivalent reflecting the greenhouse gas emissions or CO2e spent in its creation, transportation, use and end of life, as measured in grams or kilograms of carbon.
Companies bet carbon labels can help the climate. Will consumers catch on?|Jessica Wolfrom|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
So instead, we used 3D digital scanning technology which allowed us to virtually carry thousands of kilograms of dinosaur bones in one seven kilogram laptop.
Lizard of Oz: Australia’s Biggest Dinosaur Discovered|Scott Hocknull and Rochelle Lawrence, The Conversation|June 7, 2021|The Daily Beast

In a paper in Science Advances, they report that producing new PDK would cost around $45 per kilogram and result in about 86 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram.
‘Infinitely Recyclable’ Plastic Could Help Solve Our Waste Crisis|Edd Gent|May 3, 2021|Singularity Hub
The European formula for Fireball has even less: under one gram per kilogram of propylene glycol.
Europeans Recall Fireball Whiskey Over a Sweetener Also Used in Antifreeze|Tim Mak|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is, of course, cheapness to be considered -- the dollar per kilogram bill for putting a payload into low earth orbit.
Up to a Point: A 'Space Corvette' in Every Garage|P. J. O’Rourke|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rhino horn is particularly lucrative—each kilogram can fetch up to $66,000.
South Africa’s Great Rhino Airlift|Nina Strochlic|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is a measure (in watts per kilogram) of how much of the emitted radiation is absorbed by biological tissue.
Are Cellphones Really a Cancer Risk?|Sharon Begley|June 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
A Calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water from zero to one degree Centigrade.
A Civic Biology|George William Hunter
Half a kilogram (eighteen ounces) is considered the portion for each person.
Rome|Mildred Anna Rosalie Tuker
A Calorie is the amount of heat required to raise one kilogram of water 1° Centigrade or one pound of water 4° Fahrenheit.
Better Meals for Less Money|Mary Green
This work or its equivalent would be accomplished by a steam-engine in the course of burning one kilogram (two pounds) of coal.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, v. 13|Various
They take the water which is used to determine the weight of the kilogram, keeping it at the temperature of 4C.
Montessori Elementary Materials|Maria Montessori

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′ ]

The base unit of mass in the International System of Units, equal to 1,000 grams (2.2046 pounds).

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.

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.