kilogram

American  

[kil-uh-gram] / ˈkɪl əˌgræm /

especially British, kilogramme

noun

• kilograms
  plural

1. 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. kg

2. 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. kg

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kilogram British  

/ ˈkɪləʊˌɡræm /

noun

1. one thousand grams

2. 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

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kilogram Scientific  

/ kĭl′ə-grăm′ /

1. The basic unit of mass in the metric system, equal to 1,000 grams (2.2 pounds).

2. See Table at measurement

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kilogram Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kilograms
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of kilogram

From the French word kilogramme, dating back to 1790–1800. See kilo-, -gram ²

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Explanation

A kilogram is a unit of measurement that's a bit more than two pounds. The liter bottle of soda in your refrigerator weighed about one kilogram when it was full. The United States is one of only three countries that has not adopted the metric system as its official system of measurement. In the United States, then, the pound is the basic unit used to measure mass, while most countries use the kilogram. So your bulldog weighs in at 100 pounds at your home in Florida but 45.36 kilograms when you move to Ireland. Originally, a kilogram was defined as the mass of a liter of water.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kilogram kilograms

At present, hydrogen produced through methane-steam reforming costs about $1.50 per kilogram, while green hydrogen costs roughly $5 per kilogram.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

Because propellant is the spacecraft's main consumable resource, every kilogram saved during its journey can potentially translate into additional years of scientific observations.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

Sales prices for Yunnan berries, he said, fell from $45 a kilogram in 2021 to $15 dollars this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

SpaceX, he adds, has cut the cost of reaching orbit from around $10,000-$20,000 a kilogram to about $2,000 with its Falcon 9 rocket - "they have built a railroad to space."

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Turns out, through a neat set of chemical reactions with the Martian atmosphere, for every kilogram of hydrogen you bring to Mars, you can make thirteen kilograms of fuel.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Due to the small size of its prey, fin whales have to eat a lot to survive and can spend several hours each day feeding, consuming up to 2,000 kilograms of food.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

You squeeze the device as hard as you can for a few seconds and a needle gauge measures your strength in kilograms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

He transformed his body by gaining around eight kilograms of body mass and became Premier League-ready.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

The study, published in Analytical Chemistry, examined an exceptionally well preserved Edmontosaurus sacrum weighing 22 kilograms.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

Everything's more effort because you're lugging 20 kilograms of suit around with you, and your movement is limited.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

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