kilogram

ki·lo·gram | \ ˈkē-lə-ˌgram

, ˈki-lə-

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 In trial testimony, jurors heard that Davis conspired with Ronnie Teets and Donald Hoffman to distribute multiple kilograms of fentanyl and heroin received through delivery services, according to the release. — Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "Federal conviction: Police seized fentanyl, heroin and $100,000 in Florence, Cincinnati," 6 Feb. 2020 There is a downward gravitational force (F) on this ball, which equals its mass times a constant, g, where g = 9.8 newtons per kilogram. — Rhett Allain, Wired, "Yes, You Can Map Out an Electric Field at Home," 5 Feb. 2020 Lindt’s Lindor Truffles Box sells online at a 40% premium per kilogram to Nestlé’s mass-market Milkybar Buttons. — Carol Ryan, WSJ, "Cocoa Cartel Is Less Bitter for Luxury Chocolate," 17 Jan. 2020 Jorge Costilla-Sanchez, 48, admitted to his role in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 450 kilograms of cocaine and more than 90,000 kilograms of marijuana, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. — Fox News, "Mexican ex-cartel leader convicted in drug-trafficking ring that brought cocaine, marijuana into US," 10 Jan. 2020 Before this protocol amendment was taken into account, only 29% of the patients in Emerge and 22% of those in Engage received the full 14 doses of the highest 10-milligram-per-kilogram dose. — Rebecca Robbins, STAT, "Detailed data on Biogen’s resurrected Alzheimer’s drug raise more questions than answers," 5 Dec. 2019 But researchers changed the study's protocol in March 2017, allowing APOE4 carriers to take the highest dose of 10 milligrams per kilogram. — Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, "Is this Alzheimer's drug a breakthrough for millions? Company unveils mixed results," 5 Dec. 2019 Retail onion prices, for instance, hovered around Rs80 ($1.11) per kilogram in Delhi in early November, as against Rs55 a month ago. — Pramod Mathew, Quartz India, "As inflation firms up, India’s central bank may not be able to play rate-cut Santa for long," 14 Nov. 2019 Prosecutors accuse him of conspiring to launder at least $10,000 in drug money and to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms — 2,200 pounds — of marijuana. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Feds plan to call as many as 39 witnesses as they seek to convict Baltimore defense attorney Ken Ravenell," 24 Sep. 2019

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.