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 HowMany - Unit Dictionar
Category: Mathematics and statistics > Dictionary of unit measurements
Date & country: 26/09/2008, USA
Words: 1293


cubic centimeter (cm3 or cc)
the CGS unit of volume, equal to 10-6 cubic meter, 1 milliliter, or about 0.061 023 7 cubic inch.

cubic foot (ft3, cu ft, or cf)
a traditional unit of volume in English speaking countries. One cubic foot equals 1728 in3, 1/27 yd3, 0.028 316 85 m3, or 28.316 85 liters. The cubic foot also holds about 7.4805 U.S. liquid gallons or about 6.2288 British Imperial gallons.

cubic inch (in3, cu in, or CI)
a traditional unit of volume in English speaking countries. One cubic inch equals 1/1728 = 5.787 037 x 10-4 ft3, 16.3871 cm3, 16.3871 milliliters, 0.5541 U.S. fluid ounce, or 0.5767 British Imperial fluid ounce.

cubic meter (m3)
the SI unit of volume, equal to 106 cm3, 1000 liters, 35.3147 ft3, or 1.307 95 yd3. A cubic meter holds about 264.17 U.S. liquid gallons or 219.99 British Imperial gallons.

cubic yard (yd3)
a traditional unit of volume in English speaking countries. One cubic yard equals 27 ft3, 46 656 in3, 0.764 555 m3, or 764.555 liters. A cubic yard holds about 201.97 U.S. liquid gallons or about 168.20 British Imperial gallons.

cuerda (cda)
a traditional unit of land area in Puerto Rico. The cuerda is equal to about 3930 square meters, 4700 square yards, 0.393 hectare, or 0.971 acre. Because the cuerda and the acre are so close to being equal, they are often treated informally as being equal. Mainlanders sometimes call the unit the 'Spanish acre.'

cuerda (cda)
a traditional unit of distance in Guatemala, equal to 25 varas or about 21 meters (roughly 69 feet). Since cuerda means a cord or rope in Spanish, this unit probably arose as the length of a measuring rope. The cuerda is also used as an area measure equal to 1 square cuerda or 625 square varas; this is about 440 square meters or 527 square yards.

cuerda (cda)
a traditional unit of volume for firewood in Cuba, analogous to the U.S. cord (see above). A cuerda of firewood is equal to 128 cubic pies, 2.87 cubic meters, or 0.79 cord.

cumec
an informal unit of flow equal to 1 cubic meter per second or about 35.3147 cubic feet per second. The name was coined after the model of the cusec (see below).

cun
see t'sun .

cunit
a measure of wood volume used in forestry. One cunit (pronounced cue-nit) is a volume of timber containing 100 cubic feet (2.8317 cubic meters) of actual wood (excluding bark and air between the logs). The unit is used mostly for wood intended as pulpwood or firewood.

cusec
a traditional unit of flow equal to 1 cubic foot per second or about 28.317 liters per second.

cut
a unit of concentration for shellac; see pound cut.

cy
a traditional symbol for the cubic yard.

dag
symbol for the dekagram (10 grams; see entry below), a common metric unit of mass.

dal or daL
symbol for the dekaliter (10 liters; see entry below), a common metric unit of volume.

dam
symbol for the dekameter (10 meters; see entry below), a metric unit of distance.

dan
a traditional Chinese weight unit, previously spelled tan in many English works. During the European colonial era the unit was equal to 100 catties or 133.333 pounds. In modern China the dan is equal to 100 jin, which is exactly 50 kilograms (110.231 pounds). The dan is the Chinese equivalent of the European quintal or hundredweight.

daN
symbol for the decanewton or dekanewton (see below under dekanewton), a common metric unit of force.

data mile
a unit of distance used in radar technology. The data mile equals exactly 6000 ft or 1828.8 meters; this is equivalent to about 1.137 statute (ordinary) miles or 0.9875 nautical miles. U.S. military radar equipment is often calibrated in data miles.

dB A, dB C
units of sound intensity, exactly like the decibel except that before the measurement is made sounds of high and low frequencies, heard poorly or not at all by the human ear, have been filtered out. The letters A and C refer to two filtering methods.

dB c
a unit of signal strength used in electronics, especially in measuring noise levels. The signals are measured relative to the strength of the carrier signal, which is the desired signal. A typical statement might be that a certain noise level is -50 dB c, meaning that the noise is 50 'decibels below carrier' or 10-5 times the...

dB FS
abbreviation for 'decibels full scale,' a unit of power as measured by a digital device. A digital measurement has a maximum value M depending on the number of bits used. If the actual power measurement is p, the dB FS value displayed is 20•log10(p/M) dB FS. Since p cannot exceed M, this reading is always negative.

dB i
a unit measuring the gain of an antenna. The reference level is the strength of the signal that would be transmitted by an isotropic antenna: one radiating equally in all directions. For example, an antenna rated 20 dB i transmits a signal in the desired direction 102 = 100 times stronger than an isotropic antenna.

dB m, dB W
logarithmic units of power used in electronics. These units measure power in decibels above the reference level of 1 milliwatt in the case of dB m and 1 watt in the case of dB W. A power of n watts equals 10 log n dB W; conversely, a power of p dB W equals 10(p/10) watts. The same...

dB rn
a symbol for 'decibels above reference noise,' a unit measuring noise levels in telecommunications. The usual reference level is -90 dB m, which is equivalent to a power of 1 picowatt (1 pW). For example, 50 dB rn equals -40 dB m.

dB spl
a logarithmic unit of sound intensity as computed from the sound pressure level. The reference level is a pressure of 20 micropascals. If sound waves exert a pressure of P pascals, the sound intensity is 100 + 20•log10(P/2) dB spl.

dB u
a logarithmic unit of power, similar to dB m but computed from voltage measurements. The reference level is 0.775 volts, the voltage which generates a power of 1 milliwatt across a circuit having an impedance of 600 ohms. A voltage of V volts corresponds to a power of 20•log10(V/0.775) dB u.

dB V
a logarithmic unit of power, similar to dB m but computed from voltage measurements. The reference level is 1 volt. A voltage of V volts corresponds to a power of 20•log10(V) dB V.

dB W
see dB m above.

dB Z
a unit of radar reflectivity used in meteorology. The unit measures the amount of energy returned to a weather radar site as a function of the amount transmitted. The scale is logarithmic, a difference of 10 dB Z indicating a 10-fold increase in energy returned. For display purposes, dB Z values are grouped as follows:

deadweight ton (dwt)
a traditional unit of weight or mass used in the shipping industry. The deadweight tonnage of a ship is the difference between its weight when completely empty and its weight when fully loaded. This includes the weight of everything portable carried by the ship: the cargo, fuel, supplies, crew, and passengers. The deadweight ton is traditionally eq...

decade
a traditional unit of quantity equal to 10. Also called the decad. In medieval English this unit was anglicized as the dicker (see below).

decade
a unit of time equal to 10 days or 1/3 month. The revolutionary governments in France (1790s) and the Soviet Union (1920s) tried to decimalize and secularize the calendar by eliminating the week (with its traditional day of religious observance) and substituting the decade. Both efforts failed. However, the decade survived as a unit of civil time i...

decade
another name for the bel or the order of magnitude: a logarithmic unit used to compare the sizes of quantities. Two quantities differ by one decade if one is 10 times the other, by two decades if one is 10•10 = 100 times the other, and so on.

decamillion
the number 10 million (107).

decatherm
see dekatherm, below.

decay time
a unit of relative time used in physics. Decay time is similar to half life, but shorter and less familiar. It is the time required for an exponentially decaying process (such as radioactivity) to decrease to 1/e = 36.7879% of its original value. The fraction of activity remaining at time T, if T is measured in decay time units, is simply e
decay time
a unit of relative time used in various engineering applications. In many cases, it is the time required for a decaying process to decrease to 10% of its original value. However, a variety of definitions are used in different fields.

decibar (dbar)
a metric unit of pressure equal to 0.1 bar or 10 kilopascals. One decibar equals 75.006 torr, or 1.450 pounds per square inch (lbf/in2 or psi). The decibar is often used to measure the pressure of seawater, because an increase of 1 decibar in pressure corresponds closely to an increase of 1 meter in depth.

decigram (dg)
a metric unit of mass equal to 100 milligrams or about 1.5432 grains.

decile
a statistical unit equal to 10 percentiles, or 1/10 of a ranked sample. See percentile. The word is pronounced with a soft 'c': des-ile.

deciliter (dl or dL)
a common metric unit of volume equal to 0.1 liter or 100 cubic centimeters. A deciliter contains 6.10237 cubic inches, 3.38140 U.S. fluid ounces, or 3.519 British fluid ounces. The deciliter is similar in size to the gill, an old English unit of volume.

decimeter (dm)
a fairly common metric unit of distance equal to 10 centimeters or 3.9370 inches. The decimeter is very close to the hand, a traditional English unit.

decitex (dtex)
a common metric unit of yarn density equal to 0.1 tex, 0.9 denier (see below), or 0.1 milligram per meter. This unit was previously called the drex.

decitonne (dt or dtn)
a metric unit of mass or weight equal to 100 kilograms (approximately 220.4623 pounds). This unit is becoming common in international trade; it is the same as the Russian centner, the German doppelzentner (see below), and the French metric quintal.

degree (° or deg)
various scientific quantities, especially specific gravity and viscosity, have been measured in 'degrees' based on the readings of particular instruments. The degree scales of Baumé (see below) and Beck, and many others, have been used in measuring specific gravity, and the scales of Engler and MacMichael are common in the measurement of vis...

degree (° or deg)
the percentage of alcohol, by volume, present in a mixture. In winemaking, for example, a 13° wine is 13% alcohol by volume (13% v/v). This unit is also called the degree Gay-Lussac (° GL) after the French chemist Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850).

degree (deg)
a unit used in mathematics to describe algebraic expressions. The degree of an expression having a single variable is the highest exponent (or power) to which that variable appears. If the expression has more than one variable, then the degree is the highest total exponent of the individual terms, where in each term the exponents of the different v...

degree (°)
the DIN speed rating for film; see DIN below.

degree Brix (°Bx)
see brix.

degree EBC (°EBC)
a unit used in Europe to measure the color of beer. EBC is an abbreviation for European Brewing Convention. EBC degrees are related to the Lovibond degrees used in the U.S. (see below) by the approximate formula °EBC = (°L * 2.65) - 1.2.

degree Gay-Lussac (°GL)
see degree above.

dekagram or decagram (dag)
a common metric unit of mass, the dekagram is frequently used in European food recipes. One dekagram is equal to 10 grams, 0.01 kilogram, or 0.352 739 66 ounce. The symbol dkg sometimes used for this unit is incorrect.

dekaliter or decaliter (daL or dal)
a metric unit of volume equal to 10 liters and comparable to the English peck. The dekaliter is equal to about 2.641 72 U.S. liquid gallons, 1.135 10 U.S. pecks, or 2.199 69 British imperial gallons (1.099 85 British pecks). The symbol dkL sometimes used for this unit is incorrect.

dekameter or decameter (dam)
a common metric unit of distance equal to 10 meters (about 32.8084 feet). The symbol dkm sometimes used for this unit is incorrect.

dekanewton or decanewton (daN)
a fairly common metric unit of force equal to 10 newtons. The dekanewton is equal to 1 megadyne, to 1.019 716 kilograms of force (kgf) or kiloponds (kp), to 2.248 09 pounds of force (lbf), and to 72.3301 poundals. In engineering, the dekanewton is a convenient substitute for the kilogram of force or kilopond, since it is nearly equal to those units...

dekan
a unit of angle measure equal to 10° or 1/36 circle. The ancient Egyptians divided the circle of the Zodiac into 36 divisions, which the Greeks called dekans. The unit is still used occasionally in astrology, where one dekan equals 1/3 sign.

dekatherm or decatherm (DTH)
a unit of energy equal to 10 therms, 1 million Btu, or about 1.055 057 gigajoules (GJ). This unit is used in the energy industry as a synonym for the million-Btu (MM Btu).

demal (D)
an obsolete unit of concentration in chemistry. From 1901 to 1964, the liter was officially defined to be exactly 1.000 028 cubic decimeter. During this period, there was a small difference between measuring concentration in moles per liter and in moles per cubic decimeter. Concentration in moles per liter is called molar, while concentration in mo...

demi
a half bottle of wine (375 milliliters).

demi
an informal French unit of volume for beer, generally equal to 250 milliliters (1/4 liter). The unit was originally a half pint (demipinte).

demisemiquaver
a unit of relative time in music equal to 1/32 whole note or 1/64 breve.

denaro
a traditional Italian weight unit equal to 24 grani; its size varied from about 1.1 grams to 1.25 grams.

denier
a traditional French weight unit, comparable to the English pennyweight. Like the pennyweight, the denier is equal to 24 grains (1.275 grams). This unit was also called the scrupule.

dessiatina
a traditional unit of land area in Russia equal to 2400 square sadzhens. By coincidence, this makes the dessiatina very nearly the same as a hectare: it equals about 1.0925 hectare or 2.6996 acres.

deuce
an old English word for two, derived from the old French deus (now spelled deux). The word survives as the name for a two-spot showing in dice or a two card in card games. In tennis, 'deuce' describes a tie situation in which a player must win the next two points in order to win the game.

devil's dozen
an alternate name for the baker's dozen, a traditional unit of quantity equal to 13. This name reflects the long-standing association of the number 13 with bad luck or evil.

dex
a logarithmic unit being used in astronomy. Originally, dex was a convenient function defined by dex (x) = 10x. But the notation is now being used after the exponent in expressions such as -.043 dex, meaning 10-.043. Thus 1 dex equals a factor of 10, making the dex identical to the bel. The name 'dex' i...

dhur
a traditional unit of land area in South Asia, equal to 1/20 kattha or 1/400 bigha. Like the bigha, the dhur varied in size from region to another. In Nepal, where the unit is still in use, the dhur equals about 16.9 square meters or 20.2 square yards.

dialog unit (dlu)
a unit of relative distance used in computer graphics. Actually there are two units: the horizontal dialog unit equals 1/4 the average width of the font being used, and the vertical dialog unit equals 1/8 the average height of the font. If the font's aspect ratio (the ratio of height to width) is 2:1, these two units will be the same. This is often...

diamond
a mysterious marking on many tape measures in the U.S. The diamonds mark a distance unit equal to exactly 8/5 feet (19.2 inches or 48.768 centimeters). This is potentially useful to carpenters if they wish to place 5 studs, floor joists, etc., in a distance of 8 feet.

dicker
a traditional unit of quantity equal to 10. The word is an English version of the Latin word for ten, decem. After centuries of use, especially by traders in furs and skins, the dicker has nearly disappeared from the English language.

Didot point
a unit of distance used in typography; see point .

dieb. alt., dieb. tert.
abbreviations for the Latin diebus alternis, every other day, and diebus tertius, every third day, units of frequency sometimes used in medical prescriptions.

dimension (dim)
a mathematical unit measuring the number of independent directions in a set or space. Traditionally, a space has as many dimensions as there are mutually perpendicular directions at each point in the space: thus a line has 1 dimensions, a plane has 2 dimensions, and the ordinary space we live in has 3 dimensions. The theory of relativity is set in ...

DIN
the initials of Deutsches Institut für Normung, the German standards agency. Outside the U.S., film was generally marked with a DIN speed rating such as DIN 24 (corresponding to ASA 200). A difference of 3 in the DIN rating corresponds to a doubling of the film speed; that is, DIN 27 film (ASA 400) is twice as fast as DIN 24. The ASA and DIN r...

diraa
a traditional Egyptian unit of distance equal to about 58 centimeters (22.8 inches).

djerib
see jerib.

dk-
an incorrect symbol for the metric prefix deka- (10), sometimes seen in combinations such as dkg for the dekagram or dkm for the dekameter. The correct symbol is da-.

DN
a symbol for 'nominal diameter,' a size measure for piping, valves, fittings, etc. Nominal diameter is essentially the inside diameter of the piping in millimeters. Industrial standards organizations, such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), set standards for pipes and fittings based on DN ratings; these standards specify in detail...

dog watch
a unit of time on ships at sea equal to 2 hours, one half the usual length of a watch.

dog year
an informal unit of time equal to 1/7 of a normal, or 'human' year. According to folklore, dogs age 7 times faster than humans.

dol
a unit proposed for the measurement of pain. James Hardy, Herbert Wolff, and Helen Goodell, all of Cornell University, proposed the unit based on their studies of pain during the 1940s and 1950s; they defined one dol to equal 2 'just noticeable differences' (jnd's) in pain. However, the unit did not come into widespread use and other methods are no...

donkey power
a somewhat light-hearted metric unit of power equal to 250 watts or about 0.3353 horsepower.

donum
see dunum (below).

doppelzentner (Dz)
a name often used in Germany for the decitonne or metric quintal. Since a zentner is 50 kilograms, a doppelzentner or 'double' zentner equals 100 kilograms (about 220.462 pounds).

double
a traditional unit of volume for liquor equal to 2 shots. In the U.S., a double equals 2 fluid ounces or about 59.15 milliliters.

double magnum
a large wine bottle holding about 3 liters, 4 times the volume of a regular bottle. A double magnum is also called a jeroboam.

doublet
another name for a pair.

double word or doubleword
a unit of information equal to 2 shortwords, 4 bytes or 32 bits. See also word .

dpa
abbreviation for 'displacements per atom,' a measure of the damage to a crystalline material caused by bombarding the material with energetic particles. Each displacement represents an atom dislodged from its place in the crystal by the radiation.

dpm, dps
abbreviations for 'decay per minute' and 'decay per second,' respectively, units used in the measurement of rates of radioactivity. 1 dps is properly called 1 becquerel (Bq). 1 dpm is equal to 1/60 becquerel or 0.45045 picocuries.

drachma
a traditional unit of weight in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. The drachma was a Greek coin, and the unit was originally the weight of the coin. In ancient times this was about 4.3 grams, but more recent versions are about 3.2 grams, 49.3 grains, or 0.113 ounce avoirdupois. There is also a traditional Dutch weight unit of the same name, but ...

drachme
a traditional unit of weight in France and Germany, generally between 3.7 and 3.9 grams.

drink
a unit measuring the alcohol content of beverages, used in describing the medical effects of alcohol. U.S. physicians generally consider one drink equal to 0.5 U.S. fluid ounces of alcohol; the appropriate metric equivalent would be 15 milliliters. In U.S. fluid units, one drink corresponds to about 4 ounces of wine or 1.25 ounces of whiskey.

drap
a traditional unit of weight in Scotland, equal to 1/16 Scots ounce or about 1.9 grams. Sometimes spelled drop, this unit was the Scottish counterpart of the English dram .

drop
a informal unit of volume used in recipes. According to some older kitchen references, 24 drops = 1/4 teaspoon; with U.S. definitions this makes the drop equal to 1/576 fluid ounce or about 0.051 milliliter, comparable to the pharmacist's drop (previous entry).

drought severity category (D)
a measure of drought severity developed by the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center and used widely by other agencies in the U.S. Categories are denoted D0-D5, with higher numbers indicating more severe drought. A table is provided.

drum
a unit of volume sometimes used in the oil trade. The traditional standard drum of oil contains 55 U.S. gallons or about 208.198 liters. One 55-gallon drum equals 1.3095 barrels . In the metric world, drums of 200 liters, 205 liters, and 208 liters are in use as substitutes for the traditional size.