Definition of "picosecond" [picosecond]

• One trillionth (10-12) of a second. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The reaction event proper is a molecular drama that takes place under an exceedingly short time span - of the order of a millionth of a millionth of a second - times scientists refer to as a "picosecond"."
• "These electrons have to be captured in less than a picosecond, which is less than one trillionth of a second, "Kempa says."
• "These electrons have to be captured in less than a picosecond, which is less than one trillionth of a second, "he added."