pico-

a combining form meaning “one trillionth” (10 −12 ): picogram.
Origin:
< Spanish pico peak, beak, bit. See pic2

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Collins
World English Dictionary
pico-
 
—prefix
p denoting 10--12: picofarad
 
[from Spanish pico small quantity, odd number, peak]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Pico is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

pico-
1915, adopted c.1952 as a scientific prefix meaning "one trillionth," from Sp. pico "a little over, a small balance," lit. "sharp point, beak," of Celtic origin (cf. Gaul. beccus "beak"). Picosecond first recorded 1966.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

pico- pref.

  1. One-trillionth (10-12): picogram.

  2. Very small: picornavirus.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang Dictionary

pico-

pref. [SI: a quantifier meaning * 10^-12] Smaller than nano-; used in the same rather loose connotative way as nano- and micro-. This usage is not yet common in the way nano- and micro- are, but should be instantly recognizable to any hacker. See also quantifiers, micro-.
Jargon
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
PICO
Polio Information Center Online
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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