megawatt
1237 Views

GC: n

CT: Megawatt (MW) is a metric measurement unit of power. The megawatt is equal to one million watts

S: http://www.aqua-calc.com/what-is/power/megawatt (last access: 23 December 2014)

N: 1. 1900, from mega- (before vowels meg-, word-forming element often meaning “large, great,” but in precise scientific language “one million” (megaton, megawatt, etc.), from Greek megas “great, large, vast, big, high, tall; mighty, important” (fem. megale), from PIE meg- “great”) + watt (unit of electrical power, 1882, in honor of James Watt (1736-1819), Scottish engineer and inventor. The surname is from an old pet form of Walter and also is in Watson).
2. One megawatt equals one thousand kilowatts. A kilowatt is the electrical energy required to turn on ten 100 watt light bulbs and is equivalent to 1.34 horsepower.

S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=megawatt&searchmode=none (last access: 23 December 2014). 2. GDT.

SYN: MW

S: GDT

CR: gigawatt, kilowatt, kilowatt-hour, small hydropower plant, watt .