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kilowatt-hour

American  
[kil-uh-wot-ouuhr, -ou-er] / ˈkɪl əˌwɒtˈaʊər, -ˈaʊ ər /

noun

  1. a unit of energy, equivalent to the energy transferred or expended in one hour by one kilowatt of power; approximately 1.34 horsepower-hours. kWh, K.W.H., kwhr

kilowatt-hour British  

noun

  1.  kWh.  a unit of energy equal to the work done by a power of 1000 watts in one hour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
kilowatt-hour Scientific  

  1. A unit used to measure energy, especially electrical energy in commercial applications. One kilowatt-hour is equal to one kilowatt of power produced or consumed over a period of one hour, or 3.6 × 10 6 joules.

kilowatt-hour Cultural  

  1. A unit of energy: the expenditure of one kilowatt of power for one hour. A toaster running for an hour will use about this much energy.

Etymology

Origin of kilowatt-hour

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The average price of electricity in U.S. cities is up to about 19 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to Federal Reserve data.

From Barron's

Its current energy rate is 8.5-cents per kilowatt-hour, which rises to around 14.3 to 14.5 cents after adding utility transmission-and-distribution costs.

From The Wall Street Journal

I should note that Dell will deliver 500 kilowatt-hour density racks.

From Barron's

The state has a pro-business governor, and its utility bills were 12.5% below the national average per kilowatt-hour as of year-end 2024.

From Barron's

The average U.S. residential electricity rate has been climbing less than 1 cent a kilowatt-hour in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.