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Billionth: meaning, definitions and examples

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billionth

 

[ ˈbɪljənθ ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

numerical quantity

A billionth is one part of a billion equal parts. In decimal form, it is represented as 0.000000001. This term is commonly used in scientific contexts, especially in measurements, where precision is crucial. It highlights the scale of very small quantities, often in chemistry or physics, such as discussing concentrations or small fractions of a whole. Understanding billionths is essential in fields that require minute measurements.

Synonyms

10^-9, nano-, one billionth

Examples of usage

  • The solution has a concentration of one billionth of a mole per liter.
  • The detector can measure billionths of a second.
  • In the experiment, the samples were diluted to a billionth of their original concentration.

Translations

Translations of the word "billionth" in other languages:

🇵🇹 bilionésimo

🇮🇳 बिलियनथ

🇩🇪 Milliardste

🇮🇩 miliar

🇺🇦 більйонний

🇵🇱 bilionowy

🇯🇵 10億分の1

🇫🇷 milliardième

🇪🇸 mil millonésimo

🇹🇷 milyarda

🇰🇷 10억 분의 1

🇸🇦 مليار

🇨🇿 miliardový

🇸🇰 miliardový

🇨🇳 十亿分之一

🇸🇮 milijardni

🇮🇸 milliard

🇰🇿 миллиард

🇬🇪 მილიარდული

🇦🇿 milyard

🇲🇽 mil millonésimo

Etymology

The term 'billionth' originated from the word 'billion', which has its roots in the French word 'billion', derived from 'bi-' meaning 'two' and 'illion', a suffix used for large numbers. It came into use in the 19th century as English speakers adopted the numbering conventions of the French. A billion in the long scale represents a million million (10^12), but in the short scale, which is more commonly used today, it represents a thousand million (10^9). The concept of billionths emerged as scientists began needing to express extremely small quantities, leading to the use of prefixes like 'nano-' which denotes one billionth. Over time, this usage has expanded into various disciplines, particularly in STEM fields, facilitating clear communication of tiny measurements.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #36,391, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.