noun
micron
MY-krahn/ˈmaɪkrɑːn/
A unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter.
The scale bar beside the magnified bacterium measures one micron.
Etymology
The Greek word for “small” became the name of a precise scientific length, one millionth of a meter, rather than a general description of size.
In context
H if the plastic particles breaks up it does not stop at Micron size it can actually go even smaller so once it the size goes below one micron people call it nanoplastics
More examples
- This filter traps particles larger than five microns.
- The film is only one micron thick.
- One thousand microns equal one millimeter.
Forms
micron · microns
Similar words
- micrometer
- The standard scientific name for exactly the same unit.