- a single undivided entity or whole
- any group or individual, esp when regarded as a basic element of a larger whole
- a mechanical part or integrated assembly of parts that performs a subsidiary function: a filter unit
- a complete system, apparatus, or establishment that performs a specific function: a production unit
- a subdivision of a larger military formation
- Also called: unit of measurement a standard amount of a physical quantity, such as length, mass, energy, etc, specified multiples of which are used to express magnitudes of that physical quantity: the second is a unit of time
- the amount of a drug, vaccine, etc, needed to produce a particular effect
- a standard measure used in calculating alcohol intake and its effect
- (modifier) having a value defined as one for the system: unit vector
- Also called: unit set a set having a single member
short for home unit - NZ a self-propelled railcar
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
u•nit /ˈyunɪt/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a single thing;
one person or thing. - any group of things or persons thought of as a single thing:The team formed a unit.
- one of the individuals, parts, or elements into which a whole may be divided.
- one of a number of things that are identical or equivalent in function or form:a rental unit.
- a machine, part, or system of machines having a specified purpose, often an apparatus or piece that is part of a bigger piece:a heating unit.
- Weights and Measuresa specified amount of a quantity, as of length, volume, or time, by comparison with which any other quantity of the same kind is measured:a unit of measurement, as an inch.
- Mathematicsthe least positive integer;
one.
u•nit
(yo̅o̅′nit),USA pronunciation n.
Unit.,
- a single thing or person.
- any group of things or persons regarded as an entity:They formed a cohesive unit.
- one of the individuals or groups that together constitute a whole;
one of the parts or elements into which a whole may be divided or analyzed. - one of a number of things, organizations, etc., identical or equivalent in function or form:a rental unit; a unit of rolling stock.
- any magnitude regarded as an independent whole;
a single, indivisible entity. - Weights and MeasuresAlso called dimension. any specified amount of a quantity, as of length, volume, force, momentum, or time, by comparison with which any other quantity of the same kind is measured or estimated.
- the least positive integer;
one. - MathematicsAlso called unit's place.
- (in a mixed number) the position of the first digit to the left of the decimal point.
- (in a whole number) the position of the first digit from the right of the decimal point.
- a machine, part, or system of machines having a specified purpose;
apparatus:a heating unit. - Educationa division of instruction centering on a single theme.
- Militaryan organized body of soldiers, varying in size and constituting a subdivision of a larger body.
- Medicine
- the measured amount of a substance necessary to cause a certain effect;
a clinical quantity used when a substance cannot be readily isolated in pure form and its activity determined directly. - the amount necessary to cause a specific effect upon a specific animal or upon animal tissues.
- the measured amount of a substance necessary to cause a certain effect;
- Mathematics
- an identity element.
- an element in a group, ring, etc., that possesses an inverse.
- 1570; coined by John Dee as a translation of Greek mónas (previously rendered as unity); perh. influenced by digit
Unit.,
- Unitarian.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
unit /ˈjuːnɪt/ n
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'unit' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Å
- ab-
- absorbed dose
- ace
- acre
- activate
- activity
- adjutant general
- ALU
- ampere
- ampere-turn
- amu
- angstrom
- are
- armed response unit
- armourer
- army
- as
- astronomical unit
- at.
- atm.
- atmosphere
- atomic mass unit
- attach
- austral
- autarky
- bar
- bar.
- barleycorn
- barn
- barrel
- base unit
- battalion
- battery
- baud
- beat
- becquerel
- bed
- bel
- beta decay
- bhat
- biomass
- bit
- bitmap
- black box
- block
- bolívar
- boliviano
- British thermal unit
- btu
