Meaning & use
a nanogram
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalspecialist
A unit of mass equal to one billionth of a gram, used especially in science and medicine.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a nanogram', 'two nanograms', or 'nanograms per milliliter'.
Patterns
- a nanogram of something
- nanograms per milliliter
- measured in nanograms
The device can detect a nanogram of the drug in a single drop of blood.
The safe limit for that chemical is only a few nanograms per liter.
Modern scales can measure a nanogram, which is far too small to see.
Word forms
| plural | nanograms |
|---|
Common combinations
- nanograms per milliliter
- The test results were reported in nanograms per milliliter.
- a nanogram of DNA
- The lab managed to extract a nanogram of DNA from the sample.
- measure in nanograms
- Hormone levels are often measured in nanograms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ng
- ng is the abbreviation for nanogram; use it in tables and technical writing, not in ordinary sentences.
Word family
- nanogram noun
- The base unit itself.
- nanotechnology noun
- The science of working with extremely small things measured in nanometers.
Commonly confused: a nanogram or milligram? a nanogram or nanometer?
a nanogram vs milligram
A milligram is one thousandth of a gram, which is a million times larger than a nanogram.
a nanogram vs nanometer
A nanometer measures length, not mass; a nanogram measures how heavy something is.
Practice
A nanogram is one billionth of a ___.
Choose one answer.
A nanogram measures mass, so it is a fraction of a gram. A meter measures length, a liter measures volume, and a second measures time.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a nanogram”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.