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Unit vs Inch - What's the difference?

unit | inch |

As verbs the difference between unit and inch

is that unit is while inch is (followed by a preposition) to advance very slowly, or by a small amount (in a particular direction).

As a noun inch is

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot, or exactly 254 centimetres or inch can be (scotland) a small island.

unit

English

(Unit)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (sciences) A standard measure of a quantity.
    • The centimetre is a unit of length.
  • The number one.
    • This pill provides 500 units of Vitamin E.
  • An organized group comprising people and/or equipment.
    • He was a member of a special police unit .
  • (military, informal) A member of a military organization.
    • The fifth tank brigade moved in with 20 units .'' (''i.e., 20 tanks )
  • (US, military) Any military element whose structure is prescribed by competent authority, such as a table of organization and equipment; specifically, part of an organizationJoint Publication 1-02 U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms; 12 April 2001 (As Amended Through 14 April 2006). .
  • (US, military) An organization title of a subdivision of a group in a task force.
  • (US, military) A standard or basic quantity into which an item of supply is divided, issued or used. In this meaning, also called unit of issue.
  • (US, military) With regard to Reserve Components of the Armed Forces, denotes a Selected Reserve unit organized, equipped, and trained for mobilization to serve on active duty as a unit or to augment or be augmented by another unit. Headquarters and support functions without wartime missions are not considered units.
  • (algebra) An element of a ring having a multiplicative inverse. (Formerly just the identity element 1R of a ring.)
  • (geology) A volume of rock or ice of identifiable origin and age range that is defined by the distinctive and dominant, easily mapped and recognizable petrographic, lithologic or paleontologic features (facies) that characterize it.
  • (commerce) An item which may be sold singly.
    • We shipped nearly twice as many units this month as last month.
  • (UK, electricity) One kilowatt-hour (as recorded on an electricity meter).
  • (Australia, New Zealand) a measure of housing equivalent to the living quarters of one household, an apartment where a group of apartments is contained in one or more multi-storied buildings or a group of dwellings is in one or more single storey buildings, usually arranged around a driveway.
  • (historical) A gold coin of the reign of James I, worth twenty shillings.
    • (Camden)

    Synonyms

    * (identity element) identity element, unit element

    Adjective

    (-)
  • For each unit.
    • We have to keep our unit costs down if we want to make a profit.
  • (mathematics) Having a size or magnitude of one.
  • * 1990 , William W. S. Wei, Time Series Analysis , ISBN 0201159112, page 9:
    • Consider the following time sequence
  • *:: Z_t=A\sin(\omega t+\theta),
    • where A is a random variable with a zero mean and a unit variance and \theta is a random variable with a uniform distribution on the interval [-\pi,\pi] independent of A.

    Derived terms

    * construction unit * tractor unit * unit aircraft * unitality * unit cost * unit combat readiness * unit commitment status * unit designation list

    References

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    inch

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (ang) ynce, from (etyl) . Compare ounce.

    Noun

    (es)
  • A unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot, or exactly 2.54 centimetres.
  • (meteorology) The amount of water which would cover a surface to the depth of an inch, used as a measurement of rainfall.
  • The amount of an alcoholic beverage which would fill a glass or bottle to the depth of an inch.
  • (figuratively) A very short distance.
    • "Don't move an inch !"
  • * Shakespeare
    • Beldame, I think we watched you at an inch .
    Derived terms
    * every inch * * inch-perfect

    Verb

    (es)
  • (followed by a preposition) To advance very slowly, or by a small amount (in a particular direction).
    • Fearful of falling, he inched along the window ledge.
  • * 1957 , :
  • *:The window blind had been lowered — Zooey had done all his bathtub reading by the light from the three-bulb overhead fixture—but a fraction of morning light inched under the blind and onto the title page of the manuscript.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 9 , author=John Percy , title=Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report , work=the Telegraph citation , page= , passage=Already guarding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Blackpool inched further ahead when Stephen Dobbie scored from an acute angle on the stroke of half-time. The game appeared to be completely beyond Birmingham’s reach three minutes into the second period when Matt Phillips reacted quickly to bundle the ball past Colin Doyle and off a post.}}
  • To drive by inches, or small degrees.
  • * Dryden
    • He gets too far into the soldier's grace / And inches out my master.
  • To deal out by inches; to give sparingly.
    • Derived terms
    * inch along * inch forward * inch up * inchworm

    See also

    * thou * mil

    Etymology 2

    From Gaelic (innis)

    Noun

    (es)
  • (Scotland) A small island
  • * Sir Walter Scott, Rosabelle
    • The blackening wave is edged with white; / To inch and rock the sea-mews fly.

    Usage notes

    * Found especially in the names of small Scottish islands, e.g. (Inchcolm), (Inchkeith).

    Anagrams

    * English intransitive verbs