billion

views updated May 17 2018

bil·lion / ˈbilyən/ • cardinal number (pl. -lions or (with numeral or quantifying word) same) the number equivalent to the product of a thousand and a million; 1,000,000,000 or 109: a world population of over 6 billion. ∎  (billions) inf. a very large number or amount of something: our immune systems are killing billions of germs right now. ∎  a billion dollars (or pounds, etc.).DERIVATIVES: bil·lionth / -yən[unvoicedth]/ ordinal number .

billion

views updated May 14 2018

billion XVII. — F. billion, arbitrarily f. million MILLION, by substitution of BI- for the initial mi-.

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