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• erg
  erg

  noun

  the centimeter-gram-second unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one dyne when its point of application moves through a distance of one centimeter in the direction of the force; 10− 7 joule.
• ERG
  ERG

  abbreviation

  electroretinogram.

erg

¹ American  

[urg] / ɜrg /

noun

Physics.

1. the centimeter-gram-second unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one dyne when its point of application moves through a distance of one centimeter in the direction of the force; 10− 7 joule.

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erg ² American  

[erg] / ɛrg /

noun

Geology.

1. a vast area covered with sand and shifting dunes, as parts of the Sahara Desert.

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ERG ³ American  

abbreviation

1. electroretinogram.

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erg ¹ British  

/ ɜːɡ /

noun

1. the cgs unit of work or energy. 1 erg is equivalent to 10 ^–7 joule

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erg ² British  

/ ɜːɡ /

noun

1. an area of shifting sand dunes in a desert, esp the Sahara

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erg ³ British  

/ ɜːɡ /

noun

1. informal short for ergometer

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erg ¹ Scientific  

/ ûrg /

1. The unit of energy or work in the centimeter-gram-second system, equal to the force of one dyne over a distance of one centimeter. This unit has been mostly replaced by the joule.

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erg ² Scientific  

/ ûrg /

1. An extensive area of desert covered with shifting sand dunes.

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Etymology

Origin of erg¹

1870–75; < Greek érgon work

Origin of erg²

1870–75; < French < Arabic ʾirq

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

erg ERG

At its brightest, it reached a luminosity of approximately 3 × 1049 erg s-1, making it one of the brightest instantaneous outbursts ever recorded in the Universe.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

Eventually, she was relegated to practicing in a storage closet in the Whitman gym, where she and other injured rowers used erg machines and stationary bikes.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 11, 2022

That might make you think Van Dorp likes the erg.

From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2019

Excelling on the erg requires great strength, fitness, coordination and determination, and size is also an advantage, Van Dorp said.

From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2019

They had discovered the X ray, the cathode ray, the electron, and radioactivity, invented the ohm, the watt, the Kelvin, the joule, the amp, and the little erg.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Georgia Tech’s Web of Brilliance ERG provides “low-pressure” ways for introverts to connect, including a summer book club and craftsmaking workshops, said Skye Duckett, chief human resources officer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

Simply put, ERG consists of taking measurements of the electrical potentials generated by neurons and other cells in the retina from the surface of the cornea.

From Science Daily ● May 13, 2024

"After analysing the genes regulated by ERG and another protein, c-MYC, we discovered that these proteins were actually the master regulators of several important pathways and processes within the leukaemia cell."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2024

ERG chairman Mark Francois said Sir Bill was confident the findings would be available in time for the key Commons debate on the bill next Tuesday.

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2023

For years Scott successfully used the ERG to avoid jet lag.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Winn Schwartau