kilo

1 of 3

noun

ki·​lo ˈkē-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce kilo (audio)
also
ˈki- How to pronounce kilo (audio)
plural kilos
: a unit of mass or weight equaling one thousand grams or approximately 2.2 pounds : kilogram
Each sack weighs 50 kilos.
Did you know … that it takes a lobster between five and seven years to grow to a weight of half a kilo, the minimum size it should reach before being fished?Food & Drink
When he finally strips off the kilos of gold enveloping his body, Deion is as light as a feather.Curry Kirkpatrick
Gathering in Versailles, west of Paris, governments are expected on Friday to approve plans to instead use a scientific formulation to define the exact mass of a kilo.John Leicester

Kilo

2 of 3

communications code word

used as a code word for the letter k

kilo-

3 of 3

combining form

: thousand
kiloton

Examples of kilo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Russo turned stool pigeon within a month of his November 2017 arrest for selling a kilo of cocaine to an undercover agent. John Annese, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2025 In preparation for his latest role, Yaman trained for two months, losing 10 kilos in the process, learning his fight choreography and benefiting from a background in basketball, which had won him a scholarship in his native Istanbul to study law. John Bleasdale, Variety, 21 Feb. 2025 Most recently, the two teamed up on one of the largest drug takedowns in Baltimore’s history, resulting in 65 guns, 10 kilos of drugs, and more than $300,000 in cash taken off the streets. Mikenzie Frost, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2025 Melvin Combs, a small-time hustler, was introduced to selling heroin when Lucas fronted him several kilos from his Golden Triangle connection. airmail.news, 16 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for kilo

Word History

Etymology

Combining form

French, modification of Greek chilioi

First Known Use

Noun

1870, in the meaning defined above

Communications Code Word

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kilo was in 1870

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kilo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilo. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

kilo

1 of 2 noun
ki·​lo ˈkē-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce kilo (audio)
plural kilos

kilo-

2 of 2 combining form
: thousand
kiloton
Etymology

Combining form

derived from Greek chilioi "thousand"

More from Merriam-Webster on kilo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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