词根词缀：tera- [TE ruh]

【来源及含义】Greek: "monster, marvel"; a decimal prefix used in the international metric system for measurements

【相关描述】Used in the metric [decimal] system as one trillion [U.S.] and billionfold [U.K.]: 10¹² [1 000 000 000 000] or a million million. The metric symbol for tera- is T.

According to the Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1992: Tera- comes "from a Greek term meaning 'marvel' or 'monster,' with the sense that this is a huge and marvelous quantity." Oh, PLEASE!

It would make much more sense to have tera based on tetra- (Greek), "four" rather then terato-, "monster, marvel"; which has no relative connection with this or any other metric unit.

【相关词根词缀】 Related "metric" families: yotta; zetta; exa; peta; giga; mega; kilo; hecto; deka; deci; centi; milli; micro; nano; pico; femto; atto; zepto; yocto.

【同源单词】terabit, terabyte, teracurie, teracycle, teraflop, terahertz