centimeter
Americannoun
-
centimeters
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of centimeter
From the French word centimètre, dating back to 1795–1805. See centi-, meter 1
Explanation
In the metric system, a centimeter is a unit of measurement that's about one-third the size of an inch. There are approximately 30 centimeters in a foot. The word centimeter comes from the French centimètre, a combination of the Latin word for "hundred," centum, and the French mètre. A centimeter is one hundredth of a meter—in other words, there are one hundred centimeters in one meter. In just about every part of the world besides the U.S., this word is spelled centimetre.
Vocabulary lists containing centimeter
Measurement and Data
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: cent
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: meter, metr
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s also a half-pound lighter and a centimeter thinner than the standard Pro.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
The researchers calculated a very low carrier density of approximately 1016 per cubic centimeter.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026
They grow about a centimeter or two a year and by sampling cores at the millimeter scale, the team was able to develop windows of monthly temperature records scattered across the past millennium.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The comparison becomes even more striking when measured against candy floss, which has a typical density of about 0.05 grams per cubic centimeter.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 27, 2026
Everywhere I looked, every centimeter of floor space, was occupied.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
I have been gravitating toward shorter skis—around 155 to 160 centimeters long, more the length of what a beginning skier might get—to limit my speed and improve my maneuverability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Compare that to my wild and crazy college days, when I owned skis more than 200 centimeters long that I could never quite control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
People typically describe seeing dozens or even hundreds of miniature figures, generally measuring between 3 and 30 centimeters tall.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
Despite traveling so quickly, the snakes were able to follow a narrow racetrack measuring just 20 centimeters across, demonstrating that their rolling movements are not simply uncontrolled tumbling.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
Mama hears it, too, and stops, her fingers poised a few centimeters off the keys.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
