kilowatt-hour

American  

[kil-uh-wot-ouuhr, -ou-er] / ˈkɪl əˌwɒtˈaʊər, -ˈaʊ ər /

noun

1. a unit of energy, equivalent to the energy transferred or expended in one hour by one kilowatt of power; approximately 1.34 horsepower-hours. kWh, K.W.H., kwhr

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kilowatt-hour British  

noun

1.  kWh.  a unit of energy equal to the work done by a power of 1000 watts in one hour

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kilowatt-hour Scientific  

1. A unit used to measure energy, especially electrical energy in commercial applications. One kilowatt-hour is equal to one kilowatt of power produced or consumed over a period of one hour, or 3.6 × 10 ⁶ joules.

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kilowatt-hour Cultural  

1. A unit of energy: the expenditure of one kilowatt of power for one hour. A toaster running for an hour will use about this much energy.

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Etymology

Origin of kilowatt-hour

First recorded in 1890–95

Compare meaning

How does kilowatt-hour compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• kilowatt vs. kilowatt-hour

Example Sentences

The iron-based battery chemistry, called lithium ferrophosphate, or LFP, costs up to 30% less a kilowatt-hour compared with nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries, the type South Korean and Japanese companies usually produce, industry experts say.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tax on other minerals has risen to 60 European cents from 20 cents a metric ton, while the excise duty on electricity for mining increased to 2.24 cents a kilowatt-hour from 0.05 cents.

From The Wall Street Journal

The average price of electricity in U.S. cities is up to about 19 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to Federal Reserve data.

From Barron's

Its current energy rate is 8.5-cents per kilowatt-hour, which rises to around 14.3 to 14.5 cents after adding utility transmission-and-distribution costs.

From The Wall Street Journal

I should note that Dell will deliver 500 kilowatt-hour density racks.

From Barron's