milli-
milli- — prefix
1. used before a unit name to show a value equal to 0.001 of the base unit
used before a unit name to show a value equal to 0.001 of the base unit
In science class, milli- turns meters into the smaller unit millimeters.
milli- + unit noun for one thousandth of the base unit
The recipe scale uses milli- when liquid amounts are too small for liters.
Our phone battery chart adds milli- before amps to show a lower current.
The hospital monitor shows milliseconds because milli- marks tiny parts of seconds.
- kilo-
marks one thousand times the base unit instead of a small fraction.
文法句型
milli- + unit noun
用法筆記
Usually attached to names of metric units in science, medicine, and technology. It tells the reader that the quantity is much smaller than the basic unit.
常見錯誤
milli- — combining form
1. forming technical words for an amount that is one out of every thousand parts of
forming technical words for an amount that is one out of every thousand parts of a larger whole
In millivolt, the combining form milli- shows one part in a thousand.
combining form inside a technical measurement word
A milligram label tells you the dose is far below a gram.
Adaeze read milliliter and knew the bottle held less than a liter.
The watch manual says millisecond names a tiny fraction of one second.
- micro-
forms words for an even smaller share, one millionth.
- kilo-
forms words for a quantity one thousand times larger.
文法句型
milli- + scientific term
用法筆記
This label is common in technical vocabulary where the full word names a small measured share of something larger. It often appears in dictionaries and manuals rather than casual conversation.