1. a prefix meaning one billion (10^9) in the metric system
Usage: scientific; technical

Examples

• A gigabyte contains one billion bytes of data.
• The computer’s processor runs at 2.4 gigahertz.
• Scientists measured the distance in gigameters.
• The power plant generates several gigawatts of electricity.
• The file size was over three gigabytes.
• Modern hard drives can store multiple gigabytes of information.