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megabyte
[ meg-uh-bahyt ]
/ ˈmɛg əˌbaɪt /
See the most commonly confused word associated with megabit
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noun Computers.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Words nearby megabyte
mefloquine, meg, mega-, megabit, megabuck, megabyte, megacephalic, megacephaly, megachurch, megacity, megacorporation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use megabyte in a sentence
Scientists have already improved the speed of that drastically in the last few years, but our current speeds are about one megabyte per second, meaning writing 500 terabytes of data could take tens of years.
How to store 500 terabytes of data on a small but tough glass disc|Shira Feder|November 6, 2021|Popular-ScienceIt covers up to 5,000 square feet with speeds up to 500 megabytes per second, and it can also connect to Alexa to act as a smart home hub.
Prime Day preview: Amazon Prime Day 2021 hacks to get the best deals online|Billy Cadden|June 16, 2021|Popular-ScienceThe game's creator, Sid Meier, somehow packed a plausible simulator of human history into a three-megabyte file.
British Dictionary definitions for megabyte
megabyte
/ (ˈmɛɡəˌbaɪt) /
noun
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
Scientific definitions for megabyte
megabyte
[ mĕg′ə-bīt′ ]
A unit of computer memory or data storage capacity equal to 1,048,576 bytes (1,024 kilobytes or 220 bytes).
One million bytes.
Usage
In computer science and industry usage, the prefix mega- often does not have its standard scientific meaning of 1,000,000, but refers instead to the power of two closest to 1,000,000, which is 220, or 1,048,576. The calculation of data storage capacity (measured in bytes) is based on powers of two because of the binary nature of bits (1 byte is 8, or 23, bits). Thus, a megabyte is 1,048,576 bytes, although it is also used less technically to refer to a million bytes. Other numerical prefixes are interpreted similarly. With data transmission rates (measured in bits per second), a bit is considered as a signal pulse, and calculations are generally based on powers of ten. Thus, a rate of one megabit per second is equal to one million bits per second. However, in certain technical contexts, megabit can also refer to 1,048,576 bits. Similarly, the prefix kilo- refers to 1,000 or 210 (1,024); giga- to 1,000,000,000 (one billion) or 230 (1,073,741,824); and tera- to 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) or 240 (1,099,511,627,776).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for megabyte
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.