kilometre

Definition

An SI unit of length equal to 10³ metres. Symbol: km

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰes- Proto-Indo-European *-lom Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰesliyoy Proto-Hellenic *kʰehliyoi Ancient Greek χίλιοι (khílioi)der. French kilo- Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-trom Proto-Hellenic *-tron Ancient Greek -τρον (-tron) Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron)der. Latin metrumbor. French mètre French kilomètrebor. English kilometre From French kilomètre, from Ancient Greek χίλιοι (khílioi, “thousand”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”); equivalent to kilo- + metre.

Example Sentences

• "Holonyms: megametre < gigametre < terametre < petametre"
• "Meronyms: picometre < nanometre < micrometre < millimetre < centimetre < decimetre < metre"
• "When you fly over an undammed river like the Fraser I grew up with, the plume of silt spewed into the ocean is astonishing, a good three kilometres of brown refusing to mix with the green of the ocean."