A metric prefix is a unit prefix that comes bsfore a basic unit of measure to indicate a multiple or submultiples of the unit. All metric prefixes used today are decadic meaning relating to the decimal system of counting. Each prefix has a unique symbol that is prefixed to any unit symbol. The prefix kilo-, for example, may be added to gram to indicate multiplication by one thousand: one kilogram is equal to one thousand grams. The prefix milli-, likewise, may be added to metre to indicate division by one thousand; one millimetre is equal to one thousandth of a meter. In the metric system of measurement, multiples and subdivision of any unit may be arrived at by combining with the name of the unit the prefixes deka, hecto, and kilo meaning, respectively, 10, 100, and 1000, and deci, centi, and milli, meaning, respectively, one-tenth, one-hundredth, and one-thousandth.