Kilo
/ˈkiːloʊ/noun
A metric prefix meaning one thousand, or a unit of weight equal to one thousand grams.
Did you know?Kilo was coined in Revolutionary France from Greek khilioi, meaning “a thousand,” because the metric system wanted names that sounded ancient, universal, and mathematically sacred.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
χίλιοι (khílioi)
“a thousand”
Late 18th Century
French
kilo-
“metric prefix for one thousand”
1795
French
kilogramme
“one thousand grams”
19th Century
English
kilo
“short form of kilogram”
Modern English
English
kilo
“a thousand-unit prefix or a kilogram”
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