kilogram
noun
ˈkē-lə-
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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
Sam Meredith, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
Nevertheless, earlier this year company Lonestar Data Holdings sent a 1-kilogram, 8-terabyte mini data center to the moon aboard an Intuitive Machines lander.
—Dina Genkina, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Dec. 2025
In addition to the arrests, officers had put under investigation 655 individuals, including 39 minors, and confiscated 35 kilograms of cocaine and more than 40 firearms, police said in a statement.
—CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
The indictment says Guerrero Flores was paid per kilogram transported or received ownership stakes in portions of shipments that involved thousands of kilograms at a time and occurred multiple times per month, resulting in hundreds of tons of cocaine entering the United States.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kilogram
Cite this Entry
“Kilogram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilogram. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
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kilogram
noun
ˈkil-ə-
Medical Definition
kilogram
noun
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