The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Ampere \Am`p[`e]re"\ ([aum]N`p[^a]r"), Ampere \Am*pere"\
   ([a^]m*p[=a]r"), n. [From the name of a French electrician.]
   (Elec.)
   The unit of electric current; -- defined by the International
   Electrical Congress in 1893 and by U. S. Statute as, one
   tenth of the unit of current of the C. G. S. system of
   electro-magnetic units, or the practical equivalent of the
   unvarying current which, when passed through a standard
   solution of nitrate of silver in water, deposits silver at
   the rate of 0.001118 grams per second. Called also the
   international amp[`e]re.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

international ampere
    n 1: a former unit of electric current (slightly smaller than
         the SI ampere) [syn: ampere, international ampere]