kilogram

kilogram — noun

1. A standard unit used for measuring how heavy something is, equal to 1,000 grams.

1.nounA2
Definition

A standard unit used for measuring how heavy something is, equal to 1,000 grams.

Example

Tamar bought a kilogram of rice from the market vendor.

a kilogram of + uncountable noun

The nurse weighed baby Nala and recorded her at four kilograms.

weigh + number + kilograms

Common collocations
  • a kilogram of (rice / flour / meat)
  • weigh (ten / twenty / several) kilograms
  • per kilogram (costs $5 per kilogram)
  • half a kilogram
  • kilogram bag / packet / container

Grammar Patterns

number + kilograms

a kilogram of [uncountable noun]

Usage Note

Often abbreviated as kg in writing. The abbreviation is the same for singular and plural — never write "kgs".

Common Mistakes

I bought 2 kgs of chicken.
I bought 2 kg of chicken.
The abbreviation kg does not add an -s for the plural form.

Word family

  • kilogramme
    nounB1
  • kg
    abbreviationA2
  • kilo
    nounA2
  • gram
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Kilogram, gram, and pound are all units of weight or mass, but they belong to different measurement systems and differ greatly in size. A kilogram (kg) equals 1,000 grams (g) and is the everyday unit for weighing people, groceries, and luggage in most countries. A gram is 1,000 times smaller — used for small quantities like spices or vitamins. A pound (lb) is an imperial unit used mainly in the US; one pound equals roughly 0.45 kilograms. If a recipe calls for 500 grams of flour, that is half a kilogram — not a pound.

kilogram ↗gram ↗pound ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • per kilogram
  • weighs X kilograms
  • half a kilogram
  • kilogram bag / packet / container

Prepositions

  • of — a kilogram of rice / flour / meat

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

The word kilogram comes from French kilogramme, which was formed by joining the Greek prefix kilo- ('thousand') with gramme ('a small unit of weight,' from Late Latin gramma). The term was adopted into English in the early 1800s as the metric system spread across Europe.