Definition

A very small unit of time equal to one septillionth of a second.

Example

Scientists can measure events that happen in a yoctosecond, which is incredibly fast.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of a yoctosecond?

Yeah, it's a crazy short amount of time, right?

I read that it's one septillionth of a second!

That's mind-blowing! Imagine how fast that is!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Yoctosecond is formed from "yocto-" (from the Greek word "oktō", meaning eight) and "second" (from Latin "secundus", meaning second). The term refers to one septillionth of a second, which is 10^-24 seconds, indicating a measurement that is eight orders of magnitude smaller than a second.

Memory Tip

Think of 'yocto-' meaning eight, which helps you remember that a yoctosecond is a measurement that is eight times smaller than a second.

Visually Confused Words