hertz

noun \ ˈhərts , ˈherts \

Updated on: 26 May 2018

Definition of hertz

plural hertz

: a unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second —abbreviation Hz

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Recent Examples of hertz from the Web

Here’s the spectrogram for the yanny/laurel recording: Higher frequencies (up to 5,000 hertz, or waves per second) appear toward the top, and lower ones (down to zero) toward the bottom.

— rachel gutman, The Atlantic, "A Linguist Explains Why 'Laurel' Sounds Like 'Yanny'," 15 May 2018
Someone with a grating voice is likely to have strong overtones in the range that humans are particularly sensitive to, around 3,000 hertz.

— eugenia cheng, WSJ, "What Makes One Voice Shrill, Another Sweet?," 11 Apr. 2018
In technical terms, power systems in Europe, and much of Asia and Africa, run on alternating current at 50 hertz, meaning that the flow of electricity changes directions 50 times per second.

— valerie hopkins and richard pÉrez-peÑa, New York Times, "Clocks Slow in Europe? Blame Kosovo-Serbia Row," 8 Mar. 2018
Monica Gagliano at the University of Western Australia has gathered evidence that some plants may also emit and detect sounds, and in particular, a crackling noise in the roots at a frequency of 220 hertz, inaudible to humans.

— diàna markosian, Smithsonian, "Do Trees Talk to Each Other?," 22 Feb. 2018
Hamilton took one for a spin down the ice, and the data was instantaneous — line graphs along with a slew of numbers that showed his force in pounds and his stroke rate in hertz.

— scott cacciola, New York Times, "Engineering Marvel of the Winter Olympics: A Broom," 6 Feb. 2018
That's a frequency 10,000 times lower than what humans can pick up; our hearing threshold starts around 20 hertz.

— National Geographic, "The Earth Is Humming—Here's What It Means," 8 Dec. 2017
At full capacity, Turbine 6 can produce 15 megawatts of 60 hertz, commercial-grade electricity.

— drew broach, NOLA.com, "As Bill Cassidy seeks votes for health care bill, John Kennedy seeks changes: reports," 21 Sep. 2017
The blinking lights, which run at 40 hertz, or 40 times a second, are less reminiscent of a strobe in a club, and more like the twinkling of stars, says Li-Huei Tsai, author of the study, which appeared in Nature.

— nathan hurst, Smithsonian, "Could Flickering Lights Help Treat Alzheimer’s?," 11 Jan. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of hertz

Heinrich R. Hertz

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1928

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Hertz

biographical name \ ˈherts , ˈhərts \

Definition of Hertz

Gustav Ludwig 1887–1975 German physicist

Hertz

biographical name

Definition of Hertz

Heinrich Rudolf 1857–1894 German physicist

HERTZ Defined for English Language Learners

hertz

noun

Definition of hertz for English Language Learners

: a unit used for measuring the frequency of sound waves

Medical Dictionary

hertz

noun \ ˈhərts , ˈherts \

medical Definition of hertz

: a unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second —abbreviation Hz

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See words that rhyme with hertz Spanish Central: Translation of hertz Nglish: Translation of hertz for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hertz

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