1. a unit of electrical potential equal to 1,000 volts
Usage: technical

Examples

• The power line carries 138 kilovolts of electricity.
• The transformer steps down the voltage from 25 kilovolts to 240 volts.
• High-voltage transmission lines operate at several hundred kilovolts.
• The electric fence operates at only a few kilovolts.
• Lightning can generate millions of kilovolts.
• The laboratory equipment requires 50 kilovolts to function properly.