convert

Everyday

1. To convert means to change something into a different form or use: "they converted the barn into a house". tree →
2. In maths, to convert means to change a measurement or number into another unit or form: "convert 3 metres into centimetres". tree →
3. To convert money means to change it into another currency. tree →
4. To convert means to change your religion or beliefs, or to make someone else change theirs. tree →
5. (noun) A convert is a person who has changed their beliefs or opinion. tree →
6. In rugby, to convert a try means to kick the ball over the bar for extra points. tree →

In the lessons

In school maths, pupils convert units (km to m, kg to g, hours to minutes), fractions to decimals and percentages (1/4 = 0.25 = 25%), and money between currencies. In science, energy is converted from one form to another: a battery converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Phrases: convert into, convert to, convert from, conversion, unit conversion.

Examples

• Convert 2 kilograms into grams: 2,000 grams. tree →
• Convert 3/4 into a decimal: 0.75. tree →
• To convert hours to minutes, multiply by 60. tree →
• We converted our dollars into euros at the airport. tree →
• They converted the old church into a library. tree →
• A solar panel converts sunlight into electricity. tree →
• At first I hated broccoli, but now I'm a convert! tree →
• He converted the try and the team scored two more points. tree →
• Aphthonius, a rhetorician of Antioch, A.D. 315, wrote a treatise on, and converted into Latin prose, some of these fables. tree →

Note

Stress changes: verb con-VERT, noun CON-vert. Noun of the action: conversion. In maths, converting a bigger unit to a smaller one means multiplying (m → cm: × 100); a smaller unit to a bigger one means dividing (cm → m: ÷ 100). The amount stays the same; only the unit changes.