Definition of kilogram
1 : the base unit of mass in the International System of Units that is equal to the mass of a prototype agreed upon by international convention and that is nearly equal to the mass of 1000 cubic centimeters of water at the temperature of its maximum density — see metric system table
2 : a unit of force or weight equal to the weight of a kilogram mass under a gravitational attraction equal to that of the earth
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Recent Examples of kilogram from the Web
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The WHO estimates that between 340 million and 680 million kilograms of tobacco waste are thrown away every year, and cigarette butts account for 30% to 40% of all items collected in coastal and urban clean-ups.
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A kilogram of opium gum can earn the impoverished farmers about $800 from the drug traffickers who purchase it.
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Beach-volleyball promoters all over the world have to submit one-kilogram samples to Knapton for approval, and his office now contains hundreds of specimens.
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Her 2004 arrest at age 27 after customs officers found 4 kilograms (9 pounds) of marijuana inside her boogie board bag sparked a media frenzy in Australia on par with America’s O.J. Simpson trial.
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An adult male hippo, after all, can weigh 3,300 pounds (1,500 kilograms).
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But the market for smaller satellites that only weigh a couple hundred kilograms and cubesats the size of shoeboxes is increasing steadily.
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At 200 km/h the 458 puts out 140 kilograms of downforce and no less than 360 kilos at top speed.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kilogram'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
The original concept of the kilogram, as the mass of a cubic decimeter of water (a bit more than a quart), was adopted as the base unit of mass by the new revolutionary government of France in 1793. In 1875, in the Treaty of the Meter, 17 countries, including the U.S., adopted the French kilogram as an international standard. In 1889 a new international standard for the kilogram, a metal bar made of platinum iridium, was agreed to; President Benjamin Harrison officially received the 1-kilogram cylinder for the U.S. in 1890. But no one uses that bar very often; for all practical purposes, a kilogram equals 2.2 pounds.
Origin and Etymology of kilogram
French kilogramme, from kilo- + gramme gram
KILOGRAM Defined for English Language Learners
kilogram
playDefinition of kilogram for English Language Learners
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: a unit of weight equal to 1,000 grams
KILOGRAM Defined for Kids
kilogram
playDefinition of kilogram for Students
: a metric unit of weight equal to 1000 grams
Medical Dictionary
kilogram
Medical Definition of kilogram
1: the base unit of mass in the International System of Units that is equal to the mass of a prototype agreed upon by international convention and that is nearly equal to the mass of 1000 cubic centimeters of water at the temperature of its maximum density
2: a unit of force equal to the weight of a kilogram mass under a gravitational attraction equal to that of the earth
Learn More about kilogram
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See words that rhyme with kilogram Spanish Central: Translation of kilogram Nglish: Translation of kilogram for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of kilogram for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kilogram
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