kilogram

noun

ki·​lo·​gram ˈki-lə-ˌgram How to pronounce kilogram (audio) ˈkē-lə- How to pronounce kilogram (audio)
1
: the base unit of mass in the International System of Units that is defined by setting the fixed numerical value of Planck's constant to 6.62607015 x 10–34 joule seconds 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?

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 Workers wearing masks against the dust unload sacks weighing as much as 65 kilograms (143 pounds) and tear them open, prepping the contents for drying, sorting and cleaning. Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024 The China Southern flight also transported 13,000 kilograms of Queensland exports, including mangoes. Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 According to the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee’s 2022 report, that spring climbers generated more than 16,000 kilograms (35,000 pounds) of poop on Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse and Mount Nuptse, three peaks in the Khumbu region. Colleen Grablick, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 The entire package weighs only 45 kilograms, or about 100 pounds. IEEE Spectrum, 16 Feb. 2024 The four kilograms of monkey bushmeat were destroyed. Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Federal prosecutors presented evidence of several significant drug seizures, including 8.8 pounds of fentanyl and heroin in May 2018, valued at as much as $1.1 million; 18 pounds of meth in August 2018; and 20 pounds of meth and a kilogram of cocaine in February 2019. Bay City News Service, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 The candidates for Queen of the Carnival wear costumes more than five meters high and over 80 kilograms in weight. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2024 But that exemption is expiring, and because organic nitrogen comes from manure, the only way to deal with the declining threshold — measured in kilograms per hectare — is to obtain more land or reduce the number of animals. Chico Harlan, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kilogram.' 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

French kilogramme, from kilo- + gramme gram

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kilogram was in 1797

Dictionary Entries Near kilogram

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

kilogram

noun
ki·​lo·​gram ˈkē-lə-ˌgram How to pronounce kilogram (audio) ˈkil-ə- How to pronounce kilogram (audio)
1
: the basic unit of mass in the metric system that has been accepted by international agreement and is nearly equal to the mass of 1000 cubic centimeters of water at its highest density see metric system
2
: the weight of a kilogram mass on the earth
he weighs 80 kilograms
see metric system

Medical Definition

kilogram

noun
ki·​lo·​gram
variants or chiefly British kilogramme
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

More from Merriam-Webster on kilogram

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