I. ˈyü-nət noun
Etymology: back-formation from unity
Date: 1570
1.
a. : the first and least natural number : one
b. : a single quantity regarded as a whole in calculation
2. : a determinate quantity (as of length, time, heat, or value) adopted as a standard of measurement: as
a. : an amount of work used in education in calculating student credits
b. : an amount of a biologically active agent (as a drug or antigen) required to produce a specific result — compare international unit
3.
a. : a single thing, person, or group that is a constituent of a whole
b. : a part of a military establishment that has a prescribed organization (as of personnel and materiel)
c. : a piece or complex of apparatus serving to perform one particular function
d. : a part of a school course focusing on a central theme
e. : a local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses
f. : a small molecule especially when combined in a larger molecule
repeating unit s of a polymer
g. : an area in a medical facility and especially a hospital that is specially staffed and equipped to provide a particular type of care
an intensive care unit
II. adjective
Date: 1839
: being, relating to, or measuring one unit