1. Plural of picometer; units of length equal to one trillionth of a meter (10⁻¹² m), used to measure atomic and subatomic distances.
Usage: scientific; technical; also spelled picometres in British English

Examples

• The diameter of a hydrogen atom is approximately 100 picometers.
• Atomic bonds are typically measured in picometers.
• X-ray crystallography can resolve structures at the picometer scale.
• The wavelength of gamma rays is on the order of picometers.
• Scientists use picometers to describe the size of atomic nuclei.