word usage - Is it common to say 'Kilo' to mean 'Kilogram'?


In my language(Serbian) it is normal to say kilo and mean kilogram because the use is most common there and it is like a short version. I know that kilo means one thousand and that it is not correct because kilo is just a prefix but we do it. My question:


Is it in English common (acceptable) to say kilo and mean kilogram?



Answer



Kilo as a short form of kilogram dates back to at least 1870, according to the OED, long before Britain adopted the metric system. You can find it in American dictionaries as well; AHD simply puts it as



ki·lo n. pl. ki·los A kilogram.



and Merriam-Webster consider this its primary definition.


The OED also notes that kilo can be short for kilometre; however, in current usage, this is unlikely to be the assumed meaning outside of narrow contexts. If nothing else, kilo has been reinforced among the public as a unit of mass due to its common usage in television police shows involving drug smuggling.


In more formal communications, I would still advise spelling out kilograms (or using kg) to avoid any ambiguity, however.


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