Standard Lemma guide

tera-

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.

  • US: /ˈtɛ.ɹə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

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 1012 (short scale trillion or long scale billion).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Examples

  • Near-synonym: T
  • a 2-terawatt increase

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mul:T

Antonyms: pico-

2

prefix

Meaning 2

tebi- (240 = 10244).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme, proscribed

Qualifier: but still in common use

Examples

  • a 2-terabyte hard drive

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mul:Ti-

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek τέρας (téras, “monster”). Also from Ancient Greek τέτταρες (téttares, “four”), by analogy with tetra- for being the fourth power of 103. Doublet of terato-.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: тера- (tera-) — SI prefix
  • Chinese Cantonese: 太- (taai3) — SI prefix
  • Chinese Mandarin: 太- (tài-) — SI prefix
  • Chinese Mandarin: 太拉- (tàilā-) — SI prefix
  • Chinese Mandarin: 兆- (zhào) — SI prefix
  • Czech: tera- — SI prefix
  • Dutch: tera- — SI prefix
  • Finnish: tera- — SI prefix
  • French: téra- — SI prefix
  • Galician: tera- — SI prefix
  • German: tera- — SI prefix
  • Greek: τερα- (tera-) — SI prefix
  • Hungarian: tera- — SI prefix
  • Ido: tera- — SI prefix
  • Indonesian: tera- — SI prefix
  • Japanese: テラ- (tera-) — SI prefix
  • Korean: 테라- (tera-) — SI prefix
  • Macedonian: тера- (tera-) — SI prefix
  • Malay: tera- — SI prefix
  • Polish: tera- — SI prefix
  • Portuguese: tera- — SI prefix
  • Russian: тера- (tera-) — SI prefix
  • Spanish: tera- — SI prefix
  • Thai: เทระ- (tee-rá) — SI prefix
  • Vietnamese: tê-ra — SI prefix