pico-

American

a combining form meaning “one trillionth” (10−12 ).

picogram.

pico- British

prefix

p. denoting 10 ^–12

picofarad

"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

Etymology

Origin of pico-

< Spanish pico peak, beak, bit. See pic ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See also quantifiers, pico-, nanoacre, nanobot, nanocomputer, nanofortnight.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.

See the entries on micro-, pico-, and nano- for more information on connotative jargon use of these terms.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023