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tera-
- a combining form used in the names of units of measure equal to one trillion of a given base unit:
terahertz.
- Computers. a combining form of like function with the value 2 40 (= 1,099,511,627,766).
tera-
prefix
- denoting 10 12
terameter
- Alsotebi- denoting 2 40
terabyte
ٱ–
- A prefix that means:
- One trillion (10 12), as in terahertz, one trillion hertz.
- 2 40 (that is, 1,099,511,627,776), which is the power of two closest to a trillion, as in terabyte.
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of tera-1
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51Թs That Use tera-
What does tera- mean?
Tera- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “one trillion.” It is often used in terms of measurement. In terms from computer science, such as terabyte, tera- means 240—which equals, well, a huge number.
Tera- comes from the Greek é, meaning “monster.” Yes, “monster.” Discover more at our entry for terato-.
What are variants of tera-?
A synonym for tera-, as it is used in computer science to mean 240, is tebi-. Learn more about this combining form at our entry for tebi-.
Examples of tera-
One example of a technical term you may have seen that features the combining form tera- is terahertz, “one trillion (1012) hertz.”
The combining form tera- means “one trillion,” while a hertz is a unit of frequency. Terahertz literally translates to “one trillion hertz.”
What are some words that use the combining form tera-?
What are some other forms that tera– may be commonly confused with?
Not every word that begins with the exact letters tera-, such as teraglin or terakihi, is necessarily using the combining forming tera- to denote “one trillion.” Learn what a terakihi is at our entry for the word.
Break it down!
In computer science, flop is an abbreviation of “floating point.” With this in mind, how many floating-point operations occur per second in a teraflop?
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