ml

IPA/ˌɛmˈɛl/
IPA/ˌɛmˈɛl/

ml — noun

1. ml is a written symbol for the millilitre, a unit in the metric system used for

1.nounA2
Definition

ml is a written symbol for the millilitre, a unit in the metric system used for measuring how much space a liquid takes up. One thousand ml make up one litre.

Example

Femi added 200 ml of warm water to the cup and stirred the coffee.

ml + of + noun — expressing liquid quantity

Each dose of the cough syrup contains 15 ml of the active ingredient.

Common collocations
  • ml of water
  • ml of milk
  • ml of juice
  • ml of medicine
  • ml of oil
  • ml of blood
  • ml per day
  • ml per dose

Grammar Patterns

[number] + ml + of + [liquid noun]

Usage Note

The symbol ml is written without a space after the number in most contexts (100 ml). Unlike regular nouns, it does not take a plural -s — write '100 ml', not '100 mls'. In formal scientific writing, the symbol mL (capital L) is preferred to avoid confusion with the number 1.

Common Mistakes

Add 200 mls of water to the pot.
Add 200 ml of water to the pot.
Unit symbols do not become plural.

Word family

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • per ml
  • ml per dose
  • ml per day

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchGreekEnglish

The symbol ml is formed from the scientific prefix 'milli-' (meaning one thousandth, from Latin 'mille' meaning thousand) and the unit 'litre', which came into English from French. The litre itself traces back to an older Greek unit of weight called 'litra'.