gigahertz

noun giga·hertz \ ˈji-gə-ˌhərts , -ˌherts , ˈgi- \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Definition of gigahertz

plural gigahertz

: a unit of frequency equal to one billion hertz

Recent Examples of gigahertz from the Web

All 377 lightning discharges recorded in Juno’s first eight flybys struck in the Earth-like megahertz and gigahertz range.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Jupiter’s Lightning Is More Earth-Like Than We Thought," 8 June 2018
In contrast, lightning on Earth can produce gigahertz radio waves, which are millions of times higher in frequency.

— charles q. choi, Scientific American, "Surprise! Jupiter’s Lightning Looks a Lot Like Earth’s," 7 June 2018
But at the frequency used in standard air-traffic radar — about 3 gigahertz — the system can pick up objects as small as 1 inch across, according to Christopher Peters, a Drexel University professor of electrical and computer engineering.

— tom avril, Philly.com, "How experts found pieces of the Southwest jet from 65 miles away," 19 Apr. 2018
The radio waves that come from these towers are in the megahertz-to- low-gigahertz range and vary according to which bits of spectrum a carrier has licensed from the FCC.

— christopher mims, WSJ, "5G Wireless Will Redraw the Wireless Industry Map: Who Stands to Lose?," 25 Mar. 2018
Radar at frequencies higher than the 3 gigahertz used by air-traffic controllers can detect objects even smaller than 1 inch across, provided they are made of a reflective material such as metal.

— tom avril, Philly.com, "How experts found pieces of the Southwest jet from 65 miles away," 19 Apr. 2018
For its part, China has been encouraging development of 5G and has identified some airwave bands like 3.5 gigahertz for use as a possible global spectrum.

— scott moritz, Bloomberg.com, "Trump's China Concern Adds Pressure in Race to Be First With 5G," 2 Apr. 2018
The atmosphere blocks frequencies higher than about 10 gigahertz.

— meghan bartels, Newsweek, "Do Aliens Exist? Human Technology May Prevent Us From Finding Out," 1 Mar. 2018
Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Pai announced plans to auction off access to radio airwaves in the 28 gigahertz (GHz) and 24GHz spectrum bands, starting in November.

— david meyer, Fortune, "FCC's Ajit Pai Wants to Speed Up 5G—But Congress Must Act First," 27 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gigahertz.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.