hertz

¹

[ hurts ]

noun

, plural hertz, hertz·es.

1. the standard unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one cycle per second. : Hz

Hertz

²

[ hurts, hairts; German herts ]

noun

1. Gu·stav [goos, -tahf], 1887–1975, German physicist: Nobel Prize 1925.
2. Hein·rich Ru·dolph [hahyn, -, r, i, kh, , roo, -dawlf], 1857–94, German physicist.

hertz

¹

/ hɜːts /

noun

1. the derived SI unit of frequency; the frequency of a periodic phenomenon that has a periodic time of 1 second; 1 cycle per second Hz

Hertz

²

/ hɛrts; hɜːts /

noun

1. HertzGustav18871975MGermanSCIENCE: physicist Gustav (ˈɡʊstaf). 1887–1975, German atomic physicist. He provided evidence for the quantum theory by his research with Franck on the effects produced by bombarding atoms with electrons: they shared the Nobel prize for physics (1925)
2. HertzHeinrich Rudolph18571894MGermanSCIENCE: physicist Heinrich Rudolph (ˈhainrɪç ˈruːdɔlf). 1857–94, German physicist. He was the first to produce electromagnetic waves artificially

hertz

/ hûrts /

1. The SI derived unit used to measure the frequency of vibrations and waves, such as sound waves and electromagnetic waves. One hertz is equal to one cycle per second. The hertz is named after German physicist Heinrich Hertz (1857–1894).

hertz

1. The international unit of frequency : one cycle per second. The abbreviation for hertz is Hz .

Notes

Household current (see also current ) in the United States is sixty hertz.

Derived Forms

• ˈHertzian, adjective

Other Words From

• Hertz·i·an [hurt, -see-, uh, n, hairt, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hertz¹

First recorded in 1925–30; named after H. R. Hertz

Word History and Origins

Origin of hertz¹

C20: named after Heinrich Rudolph Hertz

Example Sentences

Previous research shows that "concert tremor" can be recorded as long-duration signals with narrowband, harmonic frequency peaks between 1 and 10 hertz.

From Science Daily

In a study of mice, they found that daily exposure to light and sound with a frequency of 40 hertz protected brain cells from chemotherapy-induced damage.

From Science Daily

It also operates at frequencies greater than 100 hertz, achieves displacements of 140% and can lift 22 times its body weight.

From Science Daily

In contrast, the researchers involved in this work were looking for a collective hum at much lower frequencies — one-billionth of one hertz, far below the audible range — emanating from everywhere all at once.

From New York Times

The infinitesimal expansion and contraction occurs at a frequency of about 10 to 100 hertz and creates a measurable offset between one beam and its perpendicular twin.

From Scientific American