1. The International System unit of electrical, mechanical, and thermal energy.
2. 1. A unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere is passed through a resistance of one ohm for one second.
   2. A unit of energy equal to the work done when a force of one newton acts through a distance of one meter.

[After James Prescott JOULE.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.