Chiliad
[KIL-ee-ad]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 16th century
1.
A group of 1000 things.
2.
A period of 1000 years; a millennium.
Examples of Chiliad in a sentence
"We arrived late to the tailgate party and chiliads of football fans were ready to pour into the stadium."
"Camels were domesticated in Egypt three chiliads before the common era."
About Chiliad
“Chiliad” is based on the Latin “chilias,” itself based on the ancient Greek “χίλιοι” (“khílioi”), meaning “thousand.”
Did you Know?
Was January 1, 2000 the beginning of the third chiliad of the common era? (“Chiliad” can mean “a measure of a thousand,” and it can also be a synonym for “millennium.”) For many, the calendar flipping from 1999 to 2000 indicated a shift from one chiliad to another. But for many — including America’s official timekeepers at the U.S. Naval Observatory — the beginning of the third chiliad didn’t take place until January 1, 2001. The reason for this is that the Gregorian Calendar never counted a Year Zero: The first year of the Common Era was documented as “1.” As a result, measuring two complete chiliads from that date finds the third chiliad beginning in 2001.
