kilometer

[ki-lom-i-ter, kil-uh-mee‐] /kɪˈlɒm ɪ tər, ˈkɪl əˌmi‐/
noun
1.
a unit of length, the common measure of distances equal to 1000 meters, and equivalent to 3280.8 feet or 0.621 mile.
Abbreviation: km.
Also, especially British, kilometre.
Origin
1800-10; < French kilomètre. See kilo-, meter1
Related forms
kilometric
[kil-uh-me-trik] /ˌkɪl əˈmɛ trɪk/ (Show IPA), kilometrical, adjective
Pronunciation note
The usual pronunciation for units of measurement starting with kilo-, as kilocalorie, kiloliter, and kilohertz, as well as for units of length ending in the base word meter, as centimeter, hectometer, and millimeter, gives primary stress to the first syllable and secondary to the third. It would seem logical for kilometer to follow this pattern, and in fact the pronunciation
[kil-uh-mee-ter] /ˈkɪl əˌmi tər/ (Show IPA) has been used since the early 1800's. A second pronunciation:
[ki-lom-i-ter] /kɪˈlɒm ɪ tər/ with stress on the second syllable only, was first recorded in America before 1830. Although often criticized on the basis of analogy, this pronunciation has persisted in American English, increasing in frequency, and has gained popularity in British English as well. It is reinforced by words for instruments (rather than units) of measurement ending in -meter, as thermometer, barometer, and speedometer, having stress on the -om syllable. Both pronunciations are used by educated speakers, including members of the scientific community.
Examples from the web for kilometer
  • Once you are in, the walk is a comfortable one, as the greenhouses-nearly a kilometer long-are on a slight downward slope.
  • Then they strung them out for as long as a kilometer.
  • He also wants the nano air vehicle to operate inside buildings, and be controllable from up to a kilometer away.
  • They expect to reconstruct the trajectory to within one kilometer.
  • The relatively flat floor of the canyon near the bottom of the image is about a kilometer wide to give you a sense of scale.
  • Of course, you don't see many kilometer lines to get in but quite a number of people visit him.
  • The first floor was destroyed, and the second floor was found a kilometer away.
  • At the magnification required to read the letters, a line from a ballpoint pen would be over a kilometer wide.
  • The sun would be a bit over a kilometer down the road at that scale.
  • Cars-per-minute can remain constant while cars-per-kilometer varies wildly.
British Dictionary definitions for kilometer

kilometre

/kɪˈlɒmɪtə; ˈkɪləˌmiːtə/
noun
1.
one thousand metres, equal to 0.621371 miles km
Derived Forms
kilometric (ˌkɪləʊˈmɛtrɪk), kilometrical, adjective
Word Origin and History for kilometer
n.

1810, from French kilomètre (1795); see kilo- + meter (n.2). Related: Kilometric.

kilometer in Science
kilometer
  (kĭ-lŏm'ĭ-tər, kĭl'ə-mē'tər)   
A unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 meters (0.62 mile). See Table at measurement.
kilometer in Culture
kilometer [(ki-lom-uh-tuhr, kil-uh-mee-tuhr)]

In the metric system, one thousand meters, or about five-eighths of a mile.