microgram
/ˈmaɪkɹəʊɡˌɹæm/MIGH-kroh-gram
/ˈmaɪkɹoʊɡˌɹæm/MIGH-kroh-gram
Meaninga small weight
Common meaning: a millionth part of a gram
- microlittle, smallLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 513 (approximate) · scan
- gramGreek gramma: a small weight (unit)
‘little, small’ + ‘a small weight (unit)’ → microgram
Journey through time
- Greekμικρός (mikrós)‘little, small’
- Englishmicrogram‘a millionth part of a gram’ · today
micro also in: microcosmmicrophonemicroscopemicroinjectmicromanage
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós) ‘little, small’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry μικρός (mikrós), p. 513 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry MICROCOSM, p. 366 · dictionary scan
Roots
- μικρός (mikrós) Ancient Greek “little, small”
Related words
microbiologymicrocosmmicroecologymicrogravitymicroinjectmicromanagemicrophonemicrophysicsmicroscopemicroscopicmicroscopicallymicrotechnology
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