a unit of frequency, equal to one million cycles per second; megahertz. The term megahertz is now preferred in technical use
Abbreviation: Mc, mc
Word origin
[1925–30; mega- + cycle]This word is first recorded in the period 1925–30. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: decibel, distinctive feature, hot spot, recycle, turnaroundmega- is a combining form with the meanings “large, great, grand,” “abnormally large,”used in the formation of compound words; it is also the initial element in units ofmeasure that are equal to one million of the units denoted by the base word (megahertz). Other words that use the affix mega- include: megadose, megafauna, megakaryocyte, megaton, megavitamin