prefix · 1 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.
zĕp′tō-
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈzɛp.təʊ̯-/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈzɛp.toʊ̯-/
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 10−21 (short scale sextillionth or long scale trilliardth).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: zetta-
History
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἑπτᾰ́ (heptắ, “seven”), for the seventh order of 10−3. The final o conforms to the finals vowel of the SI series from micro- downwards; the letter z was added, as a start in a series of terms running backwards through the alphabet.
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.