Etimology
Formerly unite, a later form of unity; see unity.
noun
unit (plural units)
(mathematics) Oneness, singularity, seen as a component of a whole number; a magnitude of one. [from 16th c.]
(sciences) A standard measure of a quantity.
The number one.
Ellipsis of international unit.
An organized group comprising people and/or equipment.
(military, informal) A member of a military organization.
(commerce) An item which may be sold singly.
(US, UK, Australia, New Zealand) any piece of equipment, such as an appliance, power tool, stereo system, computer, tractor, or machinery.
(US, Australia, New Zealand) a measure of housing equivalent to the living quarters of one household; an apartment where a group of apartments is contained in one or more multi-storied buildings or a group of dwellings is in one or more single storey buildings, usually arranged around a driveway.
(medicine) A quantity of approximately 517 milliliters (1.1 U.S. pints) of blood.
(US, military) Any military element whose structure is prescribed by competent authority, such as a table of organization and equipment; specifically, part of an organization.
(US, military) An organization title of a subdivision of a group in a task force.
(US, military) A standard or basic quantity into which an item of supply is divided, issued, or detailed. In this meaning, also called unit of issue.
(US, military) With regard to Reserve Components of the Armed Forces, denotes a Selected Reserve unit organized, equipped, and trained for mobilization to serve on active duty as a unit or to augment or be augmented by another unit. Headquarters and support functions without wartime missions are not considered units.
(algebra) The identity element, neutral element.
(algebra) An element having an inverse, an invertible element; an associate of the unity.
(category theory) In an adjunction, a natural transformation from the identity functor of the domain of the left adjoint functor to the composition of the right adjoint functor with the left adjoint functor.
(geology) A volume of rock or ice of identifiable origin and age range that is defined by the distinctive and dominant, easily mapped and recognizable petrographic, lithologic or paleontologic features (facies) that characterize it.
(UK) A unit of alcohol.
(UK, electricity) One kilowatt-hour (as recorded on an electricity meter).
(historical) A gold coin of the reign of James I, worth twenty shillings.
A work unit.
(UK, Australia, slang) A physically large person.
(US, slang, vulgar) A penis, especially a large one.
Examples
Number, we define, to be, a certayne Mathematicall Sũme, of Vnits. [Note the worde, Vnit, to expresse the Greke Monas, & not Vnitie: as we haue all, commonly, till now, vsed.]
The centimetre is a unit of length.
This pill provides 500 units of Vitamin E.
He was a member of a special police unit.
The fifth tank brigade moved in with 20 units.
We shipped nearly twice as many units this month as last month.
This air-conditioner is the most efficient unit we sell.
The new apartment complex will have 50 units.
An element 𝑒 of 𝑆 such that 𝑒𝑥 = 𝑥 = 𝑥𝑒 for all 𝑥 ∈ 𝑆 is called a unit element.
Hypernym: regular element
Let 𝐴 be an arbitrary integral domain. We say that an element 𝑎 ∈ 𝐴 is invertible or is a unit of 𝐴 if it has an inverse in 𝐴; in ℤ the units are ±1, […]
For example, the Moenkopi Formation was named for the small settlement of Moenkopi, Arizona where the formation was first defined as being a separate unit from the rocks above and beneath it.
Luca's father, Americo Campanaro, said: "I feel like my heart has been ripped out."Mr Campanaro added: "He was a big lad, a big unit, that's why he was a goalkeeper, with a big heart to match. A gentle giant."
Related words
synonyms
(identity element): identity element, unity, unit element
hyponyms
(chip): arithmetic logic unit
(sciences): SI unit
adjective
unit (not comparable)
For each unit.
(mathematics) Having a size or magnitude of one.
Examples
We have to keep our unit costs down if we want to make a profit.
Consider the following time sequence Z t = A sin {\displaystyle Z_{t}=A\sin} ,
Z t = A sin {\displaystyle Z_{t}=A\sin} ,
where A {\displaystyle A} is a random variable with a zero mean and a unit variance and θ {\displaystyle \theta } is a random variable with a uniform distribution on the interval [ − π , π ] {\displaystyle [-\pi ,\pi ]} independent of A {\displaystyle A} .