milligram

[ mil-i-gram ]

/ ˈmɪl ɪˌgræm /

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noun

a unit of mass or weight equal to one thousandth of a gram, and equivalent to 0.0154 grain. Abbreviation: mg

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Also especially British, mil·li·gramme .

Origin of milligram

From the French word milligramme, dating back to 1800–10. See milli-, -gram²

Words nearby milligram

milliequivalent, millier, millifarad, milligal, Milligan, milligram, milligram-hour, millihenry, Millikan, millilambert, milliliter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use milligram in a sentence

Increasing the amount of the enzyme from 1 milligram per gram of PET to 3 milligrams made it even more efficient — breaking down about 90 percent of the plastic.
New recycling technologies could keep more plastic out of landfills|Maria Temming|April 29, 2021|Science News For Students
Previous experiments have involved objects with masses of hundreds of milligrams or more.
A tiny gold ball is the smallest object to have its gravity measured|Emily Conover|March 10, 2021|Science News
“If they were ten-milligram tablets, she would have taken ten to twenty of them,” Ballard quoted Francisco.
The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis|Richard Ben Cramer|January 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One milligram of californium-252 will spontaneously produce over 10⁹ neutrons per second.
The Atomic Fingerprint|Bernard Keisch

If after a second trial the loss is the same, or only increased by a milligram, the determination is finished.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer
They lose slightly in weight when in use, but the loss is uniform, and averages half a milligram per month when in daily use.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer
They are always weighed on the balance with a counterpoise, but no attempt is made to weigh them closer than to 0.5 milligram.
Respiration Calorimeters for Studying the Respiratory Exchange and Energy Transformations of Man|Francis Gano Benedict
The masses commonly used are the milligram, gram and kilogram.
Physics|Willis Eugene Tower

British Dictionary definitions for milligram

milligram

milligramme

/ (ˈmɪlɪˌɡræm) /

noun

one thousandth of a gramSymbol: mg

Word Origin for milligram

C19: from French

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 milligram

milligram

[ mĭl′ĭ-grăm′ ]

A metric unit of mass equal to one thousandth (10-3) of a gram.

Scientific definitions for milligram

milligram

[ mĭl′ĭ-grăm′ ]

A unit of mass or weight in the metric system equal to 0.001 gram. See Table at measurement.