billion
See also Billion
English
Etymology
From French billion
Pronunciation
Noun
billion (plural billions)
- (US, modern British & Australian, short scale) A milliard, a thousand million: 1 followed by nine zeros, 109.
- (obsolete, British & Australian, long scale) A million million: a 1 followed by twelve zeros, 1012.
- (colloquial, plural, hyperbolic) A very large number.
- There were billions of people at the concert
See also
- (short scale) Previous: million. Next trillion:
- (long scale) Previous: milliard. Next billiard:
- ISO prefix: giga-
Derived terms
Related terms
- trillion, coined at same time
Translations
a thousand million; 1,000,000,000; 109; a milliard
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a million million; 1,000,000,000,000; 1012
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French
Etymology
From bi- (“two”) + -illion; i.e. a million million.
Coined by Jehan Adam in 1475 as by-million.[1][2][3] Rendered as byllion by Nicolas Chuquet in 1484, in his article “Triparty en la science des nombres”.[4][5]
Pronunciation
Numeral
billion
- 1012; a long scale billion; a short scale trillion.
Usage notes
Related terms
- trillion, coined at same time
Descendants
- Catalan: bilió
References
- ^ Bibliothèque St Geneviève, Paris, MS Français 3143 - original French manuscript by Jehan Adam
- ^ Jehan Adam, Traicté en arismetique pour la practique par gectouers… Parchemin. XVe siècle (1475).
- ^ Lynn Thorndike, “The Arithmetic of Jehan Adam, A.D. 1475,” Science and Thought in the Fifteenth Century
- ^ 1880 [1484], Nicolas Chuquet, Triparty en la science des nombres (ISSN 9012-9458), Aristide Marre:
Idem, "Nicolas Chuquet's manuscript", Published by www.miakinen.net. URL accessed on 2008-03-01. - ^ Idem, "Nicolas Chuquet's chapter", Transcription by Michael Florencetime. URL accessed on 2008-03-01.