u|nit

u|nit «YOO niht», noun, adjective.

–n.

1. a single thing or person; individual member or part (of a group or number of things or individuals): »

to regard husband and wife as the primary units of the family.

2. any group of things or persons considered as one; division or section: »

The family is a social unit.

3. one of the individuals or groups of which a whole is composed: »

The body consists of units called cells. The world…so terrible in the mass, is so…pitiable in its units (Thomas Hardy).

4. a standard value, quantity, or amount, used as a basis for measuring: »

A foot is a unit of length; a pound is a unit of weight.

5. a part of a machine or other apparatus that has one specific purpose: »

the storage unit of a computer.

6. a) the amount of a drug, vaccine, serum, or other agent, necessary to produce a specified effect: »

international units of vitamins.

b) the amount necessary to produce a specified effect upon a particular animal or upon animal tissues: »

a rat growth unit.

7. the smallest whole number; one; 1.

8. Mathematics. a single magnitude or number considered as the base of all numbers.

9. Especially U.S. a certain number of hours of classroom attendance and the accompanying outside work, used especially in computing credits and fees.

10. any one of the basic administrative and tactical groups or divisions of an armed force, forming part of a larger group or division.

–adj.

1. a) of, having to do with, or equivalent to a unit: »

a unit measure, a unit weight, a circuit of unit resistance.

b) consisting of, containing, or forming a unit or units: »

a unit dose of medicine, the unit consumption of wheat per year.

2. having the distinct or individual existence of a unit; individual: »

All things in the exterior world are unit and individual (Cardinal Newman).

╂[alteration of unity; patterned on digit]

Unit.,

Unitarian.