What does dekagram mean?
A dekagram is a unit of mass in the metric system equal to ten grams, or one-hundredth of a kilogram. Though it belongs to the official family of metric prefixes, it occupies an odd middle ground: too large for precise laboratory work, too small for bulk goods, and largely bypassed in English-speaking countries where weights are stated directly in grams or kilograms. Its natural home is continental Europe — especially Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and other parts of Central Europe — where it remains firmly embedded in daily life at the butcher's counter, in grocery stores, and in traditional recipes, typically abbreviated as dag or dkg. The word combines the Greek-derived prefix deka-, meaning ten, with gram, itself rooted in the Greek gramma, a small weight. For readers encountering older European cookbooks or shopping abroad, knowing that one dekagram equals about a third of an ounce makes the term instantly practical rather than merely obscure.
nounA metric unit of mass equal to ten grams (one-hundredth of a kilogram). It is used chiefly in Europe, especially in food retail and recipes, where it is often abbreviated as dag or dkg.
- A metric unit of mass equal to ten grams.
"The recipe called for five dekagrams of butter."
"The butcher weighed out three dekagrams of smoked salami."
"Convert the recipe from ounces to dekagrams before baking."
Regular plural; used when stating multiple units or quantities, as in recipes and market transactions.
"The recipe requires six dekagrams of raisins."
In much of Central Europe, deli counters still weigh your ham in dekagrams — order '20 dkg' and you'll sound like a local.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dekagram
Dekagram was formed in the early nineteenth century alongside France's original metric system, combining the Greek prefix deka- (ten) with gram, which derives from the late Latin gramma and ultimately the Greek gramma, meaning a small weight. The variant spelling decagram reflects the French décagramme, using the Latinate deci-style form of the same Greek root. Its sibling units — kilogram, milligram, and centigram — share the same base and illustrate how metric prefixes systematically scale a single root.
Related word forms
How dekagram is actually used
"Dekagram" follows American spelling; British and European usage often prefers "decagram", while "dekagramme" appears in some continental contexts. The word is common in everyday commerce and cooking in Central Europe but rare in everyday English, where quantities are usually given in grams or kilograms instead. The abbreviations dag and dkg appear on packaging and price labels.
Easily confused with dekagram
A decigram is one-tenth of a gram, whereas a dekagram is ten grams — a hundredfold difference in mass.
A kilogram equals 1,000 grams and is the base SI unit of mass, while a dekagram is only 10 grams.