mega-

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

[edit] English

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[edit] Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέγας (megas), “‘great, large, mighty’”), from a Proto-Indo-European root *meg- "great" (cognate with Latin magnus, Gothic mikils, Old English micel etc.)

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: mĕgʹə, IPA: /ˈmɛɡə/, SAMPA: /"mEg@/
• also IPA: /ˈmeɪɡə/

[edit] Prefix

mega- (or, before a vowel meg-)

1. (originally) (also megalo- or, before a vowel, megal-) Very large, great.
2. In the International System of Units and other metric systems of units, multiplying the unit to which it is attached by one million (10⁶.) SI Symbol: M, computing abbreviation: Mi.
3. (computing) Multiplying the unit to which it is attached by 2²⁰ (= 1,048,576, the binary round number closest to a million).
4. (computing, marketing) Multiplying the unit to which it is attached by 2¹⁰ × 10³ (= 1024,000, the binary round number closest to thousand).

[edit] Usage notes

• also written separately as an adjective, meaning very large or great; see mega).
• Because the meaning "2²⁰" is in conflict with the meaning "one million" used with SI units, the alternative mebi- has been proposed, with Mi proposed for use with SI units and M in computing. This sense is US only not widely used.

[edit] Antonyms

• micro-

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Related terms

• mega (adjective)
• much
• almagest

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• giant -
• (multiplicator prefixes) giga-, myria-, tera-

[edit] Italian

[edit] Prefix

mega-

1. mega- (all senses)