kilo

¹

[ kee-loh, kil-oh ]

noun

, plural ki·los.

1. kilogram.
2. kilometer.
3. (a word used in communications to represent the letter K. )

kilo-

²

1. a Greek combining form meaning “thousand,” introduced from French in the nomenclature of the metric system ( kiloliter ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words in other scientific measurements ( kilowatt ).

kilo

¹

/ ˈkiːləʊ /

noun

1. communications a code word for the letter k

kilo-

²

prefix

1. denoting 10³ (1000) k

   kilometre

2. (in computer technology) denoting 2 ¹⁰(1024): kilobyte: in computer usage, kilo- is restricted to sizes of storage (e.g. kilobit ) when it means 1024; in other computer contexts it retains its usual meaning of 1000

kilo

³

/ ˈkiːləʊ /

noun

1. short for kilogram kilometre

kilo–

1. A prefix that means:
2. One thousand, as in kilowatt, one thousand watts.
3. 2 ¹⁰ (that is, 1,024), which is the power of 2 closest to 1,000, as in kilobyte.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kilo¹

First recorded in 1865–70; shortened form

Origin of kilo²

< French, representing Greek chī́lioi a thousand

Word History and Origins

Origin of kilo¹

from French, from Greek khilioi thousand

Example Sentences

Anyone who has ever tried to get rid of a few extra kilos knows the frustration: the weight drops initially, only to be back within a matter of weeks -- the yo-yo effect has struck.

From Science Daily

Mujib now weighs six kilos - still a couple of kilos underweight, but significantly improved.

From BBC

“I lost a few kilos but that doesn’t reflect my mental state when I left the city. I believe that this trauma will stay with me forever,” he says.

From BBC

The company says it can produce a kilo of hydrogen using 20% less electricity than conventional methods.

From BBC

Under the care of the kennels, he was unexplainably losing weight – going from 30 kilos to 15 within a few months.

From BBC