Hectare
/ˈhɛk.tɑːr/noun
A metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters.
Did you know?The word was coined in French in the 19th century from Greek-derived metric parts, so its “mystique” is mathematical rather than occult: a clean, engineered land-measure born from the drive to standardize the earth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἑκατόν (hekatón)
“hundred”
Latin
Latin
arēa
“open space, level ground, or measured surface”
1790s
French
are
“a metric unit of area equal to 100 square meters”
19th Century
French
hectare
“100 ares; a metric unit of land area”
Modern English
English
hectare
“a unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters”
Explore more surprising origins