# kilogram

Pronunciation: US say "KIL-uh-gram" /ˈkɪləɡɹæm/; UK

## Noun

1. The base unit of mass in the International System of Units, originally defined as the mass of one liter of water and now fixed using the Planck constant.
   - Simple: A basic unit for measuring mass (how much stuff is in something) equal to about 2.2 pounds.
   - _Each kilogram of the alloy was checked against the laboratory's standard reference._
   - _Scientists around the world rely on the kilogram as the fixed unit of mass._
2. A unit of weight defined so that an object with a mass of one kilogram also has a weight of one kilogram.
   - Simple: A unit for measuring weight, so that an object with a mass of one kilogram also weighs one kilogram.
   - _Her suitcase tipped the airport scale at exactly twenty kilograms._
   - _A single kilogram of fruit pressed down noticeably on the hanging scale._

## Origin

Borrowed from French "kilogramme." By its parts, it breaks down into "kilo-" plus "gram."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/kilogram (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).