kilo

1 of 3

noun

ki·​lo ˈkē-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce kilo (audio)
also
ˈki- How to pronounce kilo (audio)
plural kilos
: a unit of mass or weight equaling one thousand grams or approximately 2.2 pounds : kilogram
Each sack weighs 50 kilos.
Did you know … that it takes a lobster between five and seven years to grow to a weight of half a kilo, the minimum size it should reach before being fished?Food & Drink
When he finally strips off the kilos of gold enveloping his body, Deion is as light as a feather.Curry Kirkpatrick
Gathering in Versailles, west of Paris, governments are expected on Friday to approve plans to instead use a scientific formulation to define the exact mass of a kilo.John Leicester

Kilo

2 of 3

communications code word

used as a code word for the letter k

kilo-

3 of 3

combining form

: thousand
kiloton

Examples of kilo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
He was arrested on two felony counts of cocaine trafficking and conspiracy to traffic cocaine in 2011 after trying to buy five kilos from an undercover detective, Miami New Times reported. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2024 María was now nineteen kilos, a weight Lil still carried with relative ease, piggyback or fireman. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Hardman helped design the necklace, made with more than 100 karats of diamonds and a half kilo of gold, according to the Jets site. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2024 This contributes about 3900 kilos of CO2 annually, which is equivalent to a small forest's worth of carbon absorption. William Mullane, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024 The sea drone targeting the tanker had been loaded with 450 kilos of explosives, a Ukrainian intelligence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, told The Washington Post on Saturday. Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2023 From the hundreds of billions of kilos of plastic waste generated around the world annually, less than 10% is estimated to be recycled at this present time. Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2024 Kratom users like being able to order a kilo of different powders or a tiny sample box for newbies. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2024 Two kilo presses, typically used by drug dealers to package large quantities of drugs, were also found in the closet, authorities said. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 28 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kilo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Combining form

French, modification of Greek chilioi

First Known Use

Noun

1870, in the meaning defined above

Communications Code Word

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kilo was in 1870

Dictionary Entries Near kilo

Kilo

kilo

kilo-

Cite this Entry

“Kilo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilo. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kilo

1 of 2 noun
ki·​lo ˈkē-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce kilo (audio)
plural kilos

kilo-

2 of 2 combining form
: thousand
kiloton
Etymology

Combining form

derived from Greek chilioi "thousand"

More from Merriam-Webster on kilo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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