erg

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the centimeter-gram-second unit of work or energy, equal to one dyne-centimeter or 10^-7 joule

   An erg is only one ten-millionth of a joule.

2. 2
   noun

   a broad area covered by windblown sand dunes, especially in the Sahara; a sand sea

   The caravan crossed an erg of high dunes before reaching the rocky plateau.

3. 3
   noun

   informal, an ergometer, especially an indoor rowing machine

   The rower spent ten minutes on the erg before going onto the water.

The scientific unit was formed from Greek ergon ("work") for the CGS system. The unrelated desert sense entered through French from Algerian Arabic irq ("dune ridge, sand sea"). The exercise-machine sense is a modern shortening of ergometer, another formation from Greek ergon.

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