Word Study
unit
CIDE DICTIONARY
unit, n. [Abbrev. from unity.].
- A single thing or person. [1913 Webster]
- The least whole number; one. [1913 Webster]"Units are the integral parts of any large number." [1913 Webster]
- A gold coin of the reign of James I., of the value of twenty shillings. Camden. [1913 Webster]
- Any determinate amount or quantity (as of length, time, heat, value) adopted as a standard of measurement for other amounts or quantities of the same kind. [1913 Webster]
- A single thing, as a magnitude or number, regarded as an undivided whole. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
unit, n.
1 a an individual thing, person, or group regarded as single and complete, esp. for purposes of calculation. b each of the (smallest) separate individuals or groups into which a complex whole may be analysed (the family as the unit of society).
2 a quantity chosen as a standard in terms of which other quantities may be expressed (unit of heat; SI unit; mass per unit volume).
3 Brit. the smallest share in a unit trust.
4 a device with a specified function forming part of a complex mechanism.
5 a piece of furniture for fitting with others like it or made of complementary parts.
6 a group with a special function in an organization.
7 a group of buildings, wards, etc., in a hospital.
8 the number 'one'.
1 a an individual thing, person, or group regarded as single and complete, esp. for purposes of calculation. b each of the (smallest) separate individuals or groups into which a complex whole may be analysed (the family as the unit of society).
2 a quantity chosen as a standard in terms of which other quantities may be expressed (unit of heat; SI unit; mass per unit volume).
3 Brit. the smallest share in a unit trust.
4 a device with a specified function forming part of a complex mechanism.
5 a piece of furniture for fitting with others like it or made of complementary parts.
6 a group with a special function in an organization.
7 a group of buildings, wards, etc., in a hospital.
8 the number 'one'.
Idiom
unit cell Crystallog. the smallest repeating group of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystal. unit cost the cost of producing one item of manufacture. unit-holder Brit. a person with a holding in a unit trust. unit price the price charged for each unit of goods supplied. unit trust Brit. an investment company investing combined contributions from many persons in various securities and paying them dividends in proportion to their holdings.
Etymology
L unus, prob. after DIGIT
THESAURUS
unit
I, KP, abampere, abcoulomb, abfarad, abhenry, abohm, abvolt, ace, ampere, ampere-foot, ampere-hour, ampere-minute, an existence, army, army group, article, atom, atomic mass, atomic number, atomic weight, battalion, battery, battle group, being, body, brigade, cadre, carat, centigram, cohort, column, combat command, combat team, company, component, constituent, corps, coulomb, creature, critter, decagram, decigram, detachment, detail, division, dram, dram avoirdupois, dyne, element, entelechy, entity, farad, field army, field train, fighting force, file, firepower, flying column, force, forces, garrison, grain, gram, half-life, hands, henry, hundredweight, individual, integer, item, kilo, kilogram, kilovolt-ampere, kilowatt, kilowatt-hour, kitchen police, legion, life, maniple, mass, megacoulomb, megaton, megavolt, megawatt, megohm, men, mho, microhenry, micromho, micromicrofarad, microvolt, microwatt, milliampere, milligram, millihenry, millivolt, module, mole, monad, no other, none else, nothing else, nought beside, object, ohm, ohm-mile, one, one and only, organism, organization, ounce, ounce avoirdupois, ounce troy, outfit, part, pennyweight, person, persona, personality, personnel, phalanx, picofarad, piece, platoon, point, portion, posse, pound, pound avoirdupois, pound troy, poundal, quantum, rank, regiment, roentgen, scruple, section, segment, single, singleton, slug, something, soul, squad, squadron, statampere, statcoulomb, statfarad, statvolt, stone, tactical unit, task force, the big battalions, thing, ton, train, troop, troops, units, units of weight, valence, volt, volt-coulomb, volt-second, watt, watt-hour, weight, wing, work forceROGET THESAURUS
unit
Unity
N unity, oneness, individuality, solitude, isolation, unification, one, unit, ace, individual, none else, no other, one, sole, single, solitary, unitary, individual, apart, alone, kithless, unaccompanied, unattended, solus, single-handed, singular, odd, unique, unrepeated, azygous, first and last, isolated, insular, monospermous, unific, uniflorous, unifoliate, unigenital, uniliteral, unijocular, unimodal, unimodular, lone, lonely, lonesome, desolate, dreary, insecable, inseverable, indiscerptible, compact, indivisible, atomic, irresolvable, singly, alone, by itself, per se, only, apart, in the singular number, in the abstract, one by one, one at a time, simply, one and a half, sesqui-, natura il fece, e poi roppe la stampa, du fort au faible, two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.For further exploring for "unit" in Webster Dictionary Online