noun
Very common
henry
HEHN-ree
Henry (noun) means the SI unit of electrical inductance, symbol H. Example: “The inductor was rated at one henry.”
noun
1
The SI unit of electrical inductance, symbol H.
"The inductor was rated at one henry."
"Each coil in the filter was measured in henries, not farads."
"The coil had an inductance of two henries."
name
1
A male given name popular in England since medieval times, and a common surname.
"Henry VIII had six wives during his reign."
"“At this point in the investigation there is no evidence the horrific fire at Judge Goodstein’s Edisto home was intentionally set,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster added in a post on X."
— Cindy Von Quednow, South Carolina authorities are investigating a fire that engulfed the home of state circuit court judge (2025)
How to use henry
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the classic English first name, or the scientific unit of inductance.
Common pairings
King Henry
measured in henries
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Word forms
- Plural
- henries, henrys
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Can you complete this real example?
The inductor was rated at one _____.
Etymology
The unit is named after the American scientist Joseph Henry (1797-1878); the given name comes from Germanic roots meaning roughly "ruler of the home".
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “henry” mean?
The word “henry” means the SI unit of electrical inductance, symbol H. In plain terms, either the classic English first name, or the scientific unit of inductance.
How do you pronounce “henry”?
“Henry” is pronounced HEHN-ree (/ˈhɛn.ɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “henry” in a sentence?
Here is “henry” used in a sentence: “Henry VIII had six wives during his reign.”
What part of speech is “henry”?
Depending on how it is used, “henry” can be a noun and a name.
Where does the word “henry” come from?
The word “henry” dates back to around 1797 and comes from Germanic. The unit is named after the American scientist Joseph Henry (1797-1878); the given name comes from Germanic roots meaning roughly "ruler of the home".
Is “henry” a common word?
“Henry” is a very common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “henry” have?
“Henry” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the SI unit of electrical inductance, symbol H.
What is a henry a unit of?
The henry is the SI unit of electrical inductance, with the symbol H. Inductance measures how strongly a coil or circuit opposes a change in the electric current flowing through it. A component has an inductance of one henry when current changing at one ampere per second induces a voltage of one volt.
What is the henry named after?
The henry is named after Joseph Henry, a nineteenth-century American scientist who independently discovered electromagnetic induction around the same time as Michael Faraday. Naming the unit after him honours his contribution to the study of inductance, following the convention of naming electrical units after their pioneering researchers.
Why is henry written in lowercase?
By SI convention, units named after people are written in lowercase — henry, not Henry — even though the person's name is capitalised. The symbol, however, is capitalised as H. This rule keeps the unit distinct from the surname and applies to other units too, such as the watt and the volt.
What is the plural of henry?
Both 'henries' and 'henrys' are accepted plurals, with 'henries' being the more traditional form, so an inductor might be rated at several henries. As with the unit itself, the plural stays lowercase, while the symbol H never takes an 's' when written after a number.
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