Standard Lemma guide

pico-

prefix · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈpiː.kəʊ/
  • US: /ˈpaɪ.koʊ/
  • US: /ˈpi.koʊ/

1

prefix

Meaning 1

In the International System of Units and other metric systems of units, multiplying the unit to which it is attached by 10−12 (short scale trillionth or long scale billionth).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: tera-

2

prefix

Meaning 2

Used to designate sizes, especially, of cells, smaller than those prefixed by nano- or micro-; sized between 0.2 and 2.0 μm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *bekkos Gaulish *bekkosbor.? Latin beccus Old Spanish bico Spanish picobor. English pico- Borrowed from Spanish pico (“beak, little bit, speck”)

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: пико- (piko-) — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Chinese: 皮- (pí) — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Czech: piko- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Danish: pico- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Danish: piko- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Dutch: pico- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Finnish: piko- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • French: pico- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Galician: pico- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • German: piko- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Hungarian: piko- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Icelandic: píkó- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Indonesian: piko- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Japanese: ピコ (piko-) — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Malay: piko- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Russian: пико- (piko-) — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Spanish: pico- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Swedish: piko- — multiplying the unit by 10−12
  • Vietnamese: pi-cô — multiplying the unit by 10−12