Billion
WordNet
adjective
(1) Denoting a quantity consisting of one thousand million items or units in the United States
(2) Denoting a quantity consisting of one million million items or units in Great Britain
noun
(3) The number that is represented as a one followed by 9 zeros
(4) The number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros; in the United Kingdom the usage followed in the United States is frequently seen
(5) A very large indefinite number (usually hyperbole)
"There were millions of flies"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From . From the prefix bi-, meaning two + -illion (from million); i.e. a million million.
Coined by Jehan Adam in 1475 as by-million.
Rendered as byllion by Nicolas Chuquet in 1484, in his article “Triparty en la science des nombres”.
Cardinal number
billion
- A milliard, a thousand million: 1 followed by nine zeros, 109.
- A million million: a 1 followed by twelve zeros, 1012.
- A very large number.
- There were billions of people at the concert
- Western (Arabic) Numeral billion, 109 short scale, 1012 long scale
- Previous: short scale: million, 106; long scale: milliard, 109
- Next: trillion: short scale 1012, long scale 1018
- ISO prefix: giga-