any group of things or persons regarded as an entity: They formed a cohesive unit.
one of the individuals or groups that together constitute a whole; one of the parts or elements into which a whole may be divided or analyzed.
one of a number of things, organizations, etc., identical or equivalent in function or form: a rental unit; a unit of rolling stock.
any magnitude regarded as an independent whole; a single, indivisible entity.
Also called dimension. any specified amount of a quantity, as of length, volume, force, momentum, or time, by comparison with which any other quantity of the same kind is measured or estimated.
the least positive integer; one.
Also called unit's place.
(in a mixed number) the position of the first digit to the left of the decimal point.
(in a whole number) the position of the first digit from the right of the decimal point.
a machine, part, or system of machines having a specified purpose; apparatus: a heating unit.
Education. a division of instruction centering on a single theme.
Military. an organized body of soldiers, varying in size and constituting a subdivision of a larger body.
Medicine/Medical.
the measured amount of a substance necessary to cause a certain effect; a clinical quantity used when a substance cannot be readily isolated in pure form and its activity determined directly.
the amount necessary to cause a specific effect upon a specific animal or upon animal tissues.
Mathematics.
an identity element.
an element in a group, ring, etc., that possesses an inverse.
Origin of unit
1570; coined by John Dee as a translation of Greekmónas (previously rendered as unity); perhaps influenced by digit
Related formsin·ter·u·nit, adjectivemul·ti·u·nit, adjectivesub·u·nit, nounsu·per·u·nit, noun
any group or individual, esp when regarded as a basic element of a larger whole
a mechanical part or integrated assembly of parts that performs a subsidiary functiona filter unit
a complete system, apparatus, or establishment that performs a specific functiona production unit
a subdivision of a larger military formation
Also called: unit of measurementA standard amount of a physical quantity, such as length, mass, energy, etc, specified multiples of which are used to express magnitudes of that physical quantitythe second is a unit of time
the amount of a drug, vaccine, etc, needed to produce a particular effect
a standard measure used in calculating alcohol intake and its effect
maths
(usually plural)the first position in a place-value counting system, representing a single-digit numberin the decimal system the number 27 has 7 units and 2 tens
(modifier)having a value defined as one for the systemunit vector
Also called: unit setmathslogica set having a single member
1560s, "single number regarded as an undivided whole," alteration of unity on the basis of digit. Popularized in John Dee's English translation of Euclid, to express Greek monas (Dee says unity formerly was used in this sense). Meaning "single thing regarded as a member of a group" is attested from 1640s. Extended sense of "a quantity adopted as a standard of measure" is from 1738. Sense of "group of wards in a hospital" is attested from 1893.
