tera-

American  

1. a combining form used in the names of units of measure equal to one trillion of a given base unit.

   terahertz.

2. Computers. a combining form of like function with the value 2 40 (= 1,099,511,627,766).

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tera- British  

prefix

1. denoting 10 ¹²

   terameter

2. Also: tebi-.  denoting 2 ⁴⁰

   terabyte

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tera– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means:

2. One trillion (10 ¹²), as in terahertz, one trillion hertz.

3. 2 ⁴⁰ (that is, 1,099,511,627,776), which is the power of two closest to a trillion, as in terabyte.

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Usage

What does tera- mean? Tera- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “one trillion.” It is often used in terms of measurement. In terms from computer science, such as terabyte, tera- means 2⁴⁰—which equals, well, a huge number.Tera- comes from the Greek téras, meaning “monster.” Yes, “monster.” Discover more at our entry for terato-.What are variants of tera-?A synonym for tera-, as it is used in computer science to mean 2⁴⁰, is tebi-. Learn more about this combining form at our entry for tebi-.

Etymology

Origin of tera-

< Greek téras monster. See terato-