kilogram

noun

ki·lo·gram | \ ˈkē-lə-ˌgram

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

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about kilogram

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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.

Examples of kilogram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rubber from the reserve sells for about 2 reais per kilogram, barely enough for a cup of coffee, while a single cow is worth 800 reais, about $200. — Paula Moura, ProPublica, "Why Carbon Credits For Forest Preservation May Be Worse Than Nothing," 22 May 2019 In its purified distilled form, CBD oil commands thousands of dollars per kilogram, and farmers can make more than $100,000 an acre growing hemp plants to produce it. — Keith Ridler, The Seattle Times, "Legislation legalizing hemp in Idaho heads to full Senate," 25 Mar. 2019 According to regional daily Paris Normandie, the jars contained six gold bars weighing one kilogram each and 600 gold coins, dating back from 1924 and 1927. — Fox News, "Gold coins worth $117G discovered in abandoned house," 2 Oct. 2018 The University of Toronto researchers developed a printer the size of a shoe box, weighing less than one kilogram (2.2 pounds). — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "This Handheld Device Could Print New Skin Onto Burn Victims," 30 May 2018 The average Mexican family consumes one kilogram of tortillas a day. — Erik Loomis, The New Republic, "How Trade Deals and Immigration Laws Hurt Workers—Mexican Workers," 14 Mar. 2018 The current price in Alba is about €2,000 to €2,500 a kilogram ($1,030-$1,286 a pound). — Eric Sylvers, WSJ, "Foodies Rejoice as White Truffle Prices Sink," 1 Dec. 2018 They were loaded with a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of C-4, according to The Washington Post. — Ulrike Franke, The Verge, "The Caracas drone attack won’t be the last of its kind," 17 Aug. 2018 America remains an outlier holding on to the old imperial, or U.S. customary system, of pounds and acres when the rest of the world has largely shifted to the metric system of kilograms and hectares. — Lucy Craymer, WSJ, "What Exactly Is a Bushel? The Question Turns People Into Basket Cases," 18 Dec. 2018

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.