Zettasecond

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An extremely brief unit of time equal to one sextillionth of a second, representing an unimaginably small fraction of a second often used in scientific contexts involving ultrafast phenomena
2. A temporal measurement indicating 10^-21 seconds, describing intervals so minuscule they pertain primarily to high-precision physics and advanced theoretical calculations
3. A denomination of time symbolizing a septillionth part of a second, utilized chiefly in specialized fields to quantify events occurring at nearly instantaneous speeds

Etymology: The unit is built from two parts. "Zetta-" is the SI prefix for 10 to the power of 21, and it was added to the metric system by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in 1991. Attached to "second," it gives a time span of one sextillionth of a second, a quantity far too small for ordinary experience. The "second" half has a longer history. It descends from Latin "secunda," the feminine of "secundus," meaning "following" or "next," which referred to the second division of an hour after the first minute-part. Old French carried the word into Middle English as "secunde," and English then narrowed it into the familiar unit of time. Because the prefix is a modern addition, the compound is a technical coinage rather than an old word. The prefix "zetta" itself takes its shape from the Latin-derived "septem," meaning seven, reflecting the 21 powers of ten it stands for.

Synonyms: zs