centimeter

American  

[sen-tuh-mee-ter] / ˈsɛn təˌmi tər /

especially British, centimetre

noun

1. one 100th of a meter, equivalent to 0.3937 inch. cm, cm.

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centimeter Scientific  

/ sĕn′tə-mē′tər /

1. A unit of length in the metric system equal to 0.01 meter.

2. See Table at measurement

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centimeter Cultural  

1. A unit of length in the metric system; one-hundredth of a meter, or about two-fifths of an inch.

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Etymology

Origin of centimeter

From the French word centimètre, dating back to 1795–1805. See centi-, meter ¹

Example Sentences

Every square centimeter HBM takes is one less that can be used to make memory for other devices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

“It wasn’t the hardest project,” Gibson says, “but you do have to measure each tile to the centimeter because the apartment has moved slightly over the years, presumably from earthquakes.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025

One study showed that men who had lost more than 3 centimeters of height had twice the risk of getting a hip fracture compared to men who had lost less than 1 centimeter.

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2025

The 3D reconstructions revealed complex networks of interconnected PanINs with an average overall burden of 13 PanINs per cubic centimeter, and a range of from 1 to 31 PanINs per cubic centimeter.

From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2024

Basically they're ten-by-ten- centimeter patches of Hab canvas with a valve in the middle.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir