Hecto-

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Prefix denoting a factor of 100

title: "Hecto-" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["si-prefixes", "100-(number)"] description: "Prefix denoting a factor of 100" topic_path: "general/si-prefixes" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hecto-" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Prefix denoting a factor of 100 ::

Hecto (symbol: h) is a decimal unit prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of one hundred. It was adopted as a multiplier in 1795, and comes from the Greek ἑκατόν hekatón, meaning "hundred". In 19th century English it was sometimes spelled "hecato", in line with a puristic opinion by Thomas Young. Its unit symbol as an SI prefix in the International System of Units (SI) is the lower case letter h.

The prefix is rarely used in general, but has certain specific applications:

hectopascal (hPa), in meteorology, for atmospheric pressure, the modern equivalent of the traditional millibar.
hectolitre (hl or hL), in agriculture, for liquids (notably milk and alcoholic beverages) and bulk commodities (e.g., grain).
hectogram (hg), in agronomy, for quantities of animal feed (hectogram/animal) and for measures of agricultural productivity (hectogram/hectare); also used in Italy abbreviated as etto, and in Canada, New Zealand and Sweden simply as 100 g, for retail sale of cold cuts and meat.
hectometre (hm), in radio astronomy, occasionally used to indicate a radio band by wavelength
In surveying, a square hectometre is called a hectare (ha, or 100 ares = 1 hm2 = 10,000 m2).

References

Brewster, David. (1832). "The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia". Joseph and Edward Parker<!--.
Dingler, Johann Gottfried. (1823). "Polytechnisches Journal". J.W. Gotta'schen Buchhandlung.

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