Kilowatt
/ˈkiː.lə.wɒt/noun
A unit of power equal to 1,000 watts.
Did you know?The word is a modern scientific compound: the metric prefix kilo- comes from Greek khilioi, “thousand,” while watt honors James Watt, so the term hides a tiny history of measurement, industry, and power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
khilioi
“thousand”
Late Latin
Latin
chili-
“thousand, used in learned borrowings”
18th Century
English
watt
“the unit of power named after James Watt”
1790s
English
kilo-
“metric prefix meaning one thousand”
19th Century
English
kilowatt
“a unit of power equal to one thousand watts”