The term “kilo” is a unit prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of one thousand. It is symbolized by the lowercase letter “k” and commonly precedes units of measurement, such as kilogram (kg), kilometer (km), and kilobyte (kB). For example, one kilometer is equivalent to one thousand meters.
This concise and universally recognized prefix plays a vital role in scientific communication, simplifying the expression of large quantities. Its adoption as part of the International System of Units (SI) has fostered consistency and clarity across various scientific disciplines and engineering fields. Historically, the prefix originated from the Greek word “khilioi,” meaning “thousand.”