Definition

1. Noun:
   • A metric unit of length: A kilometer is a unit of measurement for distance in the metric system. It is equal to one thousand meters.
   • A specific distance: The word can also refer to a distance of this specific length.

Usage

• The word "kilometer" is used to measure and express distances, especially in countries that use the metric system. It is commonly abbreviated as "km".
• It is a countable noun. You can have one kilometer, ten kilometers, or half a kilometer.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The race is five kilometers long. (The distance of the race is five times this unit.)
  • My school is about two kilometers from my house. (The separation between my school and house is approximately two of these units.)
  • Light travels nearly 300,000 kilometers in one second. (This is a measurement of an immense distance.)

Advanced Usage

• "Square kilometer": A unit of area equal to a square that is one kilometer on each side.
  • The national park covers an area of over 500 square kilometers.
• "Kilometer zero": A special marker (often in a capital city) from which all road distances in a country are measured.
  • The monument is considered the kilometer zero for the country's highway system.

Variants and Related Words

• Kilometre (noun): This is the standard British English spelling of the word. The meaning is identical to "kilometer".
  • The sign said the next town was 30 kilometres away.
• Kilometric (adjective): Relating to or measured in kilometers.
  • The car's fuel efficiency is given in kilometric terms.
• Kilometerage (noun): The total number of kilometers traveled or covered.
  • The kilometerage on the old truck was very high.

Synonyms

• Klick (noun, informal/slang): Military slang for a kilometer.
  • The target is ten klicks to the north.
• Km (noun): The standard abbreviation.

Related Phrases

• Kilometers per hour (km/h): A unit of speed expressing the number of kilometers traveled in one hour.
  • The speed limit on this road is 100 kilometers per hour.

Noun

1. a metric unit of length equal to 1000 meters (or 0.621371 miles)