absolute unit

noun

plural absolute units

1

physics : a unit of measurement that relates to or can be derived in the simplest manner from the fundamental units of length, mass, and time

Many people use the term decibel as if it were an absolute unit for measuring the amplitude of electrical audio signals. However, that is not correct. When used with electrical audio signals, decibels express the ratio of two values.

—Scott Wilkinson

compare base unit

2

slang : an impressively large person or thing

The internet is being regaled by the sight of an absolute unit of a walrus struggling to board a boat.

—Cheryl Teh

A hulking Highland cow held up train passengers near Glasgow after escaping from a country park, leading rail staff to dub the beast an "absolute unit."

—Jon Sharman

The absolute unit of a Bible that President Biden swore his oath of office on has been in his family since 1893!

—@grace_panetta, on X, formerly Twitter

He's also a 6-foot, 256-pound absolute unit—to put it in the parlance of his fans on social media—who will punt in the NFL if he keeps improving in his final college season.

—Andy Staples

The reason for the extra napkins? These tortas are absolute units, loaded with multiple types of meat.

—Emily Teel

Examples of absolute unit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Notable: An absolute unit at 6-foot-4 and 360 pounds with athleticism, Jenkins played defensive tackle as well as anyone has played it for Carolina for a space of several seasons. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2024

Clip the coupon on the product page to get this absolute unit for $15 ($7 off). —Condé Nast, WIRED, 24 Nov. 2023

Jaylon Hutchings, Texas Tech, defensive tackle Hutchings has evolved into an absolute unit, morphing from a high-school running back into one of the nation’s best interior defensive lineman. —Michael Haag, Dallas News, 15 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1