Hz
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Hertz |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Units & Measurements, Medical, Science & Engineering |
| Also written | HZ |
Hz has three meanings. The most common are Hertz (engineering unit) and Herpes zoster (infectious disease); it can also stand for Habitable zone.
Meanings of Hz at a glance
| # | Hz stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hertz | Units & Measurements › Engineering Unit |
| 2 | Herpes zoster | Medical › Infectious Disease |
| 3 | Habitable zone | Science & Engineering › Astronomy & Space |
1. Hertz
Units & Measurements · Engineering Unit Abbreviations
The SI unit of frequency, one cycle per second. It measures AC power (60 Hz in North America, 50 Hz in most other countries), sound pitch, display refresh rates and radio signals.
Example: The gaming monitor refreshes at 144 Hz for smoother motion.
German physicist Heinrich Hertz, who demonstrated electromagnetic waves in the late 1880s, is honored by the unit, which replaced "cycles per second" in 1960. Concert A is tuned to 440 Hz, and human hearing spans roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Japan uniquely splits its grid between 50 Hz in the east and 60 Hz in the west.
2. Herpes zoster (HZ)
Medical · Infectious Disease Abbreviations
Painful, blistering rash caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, usually confined to one dermatome on one side of the body. About one in three people in the US develops shingles in their lifetime, with risk rising after age 50 and in people with weakened immunity.
Example: HZ left T6 dermatome, onset 2 days ago; valacyclovir 1 g TID for 7 days.
Commonly called shingles, from the Latin cingulum (girdle), because it often wraps around the trunk. Antivirals work best when started within 72 hours of the rash. Involvement of the tip of the nose (Hutchinson's sign) warns of eye involvement, herpes zoster ophthalmicus. The recombinant zoster vaccine prevents more than 90 percent of cases in older adults.
3. Habitable zone (HZ)
Science & Engineering · Astronomy & Space Abbreviations
Range of distances from a star where a planet with an atmosphere could keep liquid water on its surface, neither too hot nor too cold, often called the Goldilocks zone. Finding rocky planets in the HZ is a major goal of exoplanet research.
Example: Three of the seven TRAPPIST-1 planets orbit within the star's HZ.
The zone's limits depend on the star's brightness and on assumptions about a planet's atmosphere; a thick greenhouse atmosphere could keep planets warm farther out. Being in the habitable zone does not mean a planet is habitable or inhabited. The HZ of a dim red dwarf lies far closer than Mercury is to the Sun.
Related abbreviations
More engineering unit abbreviations
- GWh – Gigawatt-hour
- hp – Horsepower
- hPa – Hectopascal
- HRC – Rockwell hardness C (scale)
- in-lb – Inch-pound
- inH2O – Inches of water column
- inHg – Inches of mercury
- J – Joule
See all 103 engineering unit abbreviations →
More infectious disease abbreviations
- HIV – Human immunodeficiency virus
- hMPV – Human metapneumovirus
- HPV – Human papillomavirus
- HSV – Herpes simplex virus
- IDSA – Infectious Diseases Society of America
- IGRA – Interferon-gamma release assay
- IIV – Inactivated influenza vaccine
- ILI – Influenza-like illness
See all 92 infectious disease abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.