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.

---

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

---

centimeter Cultural  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of centimeter

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

Example Sentences

This friction causes the particles to collect electrical charges, which are eventually released as short electric arcs only a few centimeters long.

From Science Daily

As a result, hot water and cold gas emerge from the seafloor only a few centimeters apart.

From Science Daily

In a slow slip event, stresses that build for months to years are relieved in movements of only a few centimeters that occur gradually over days, weeks or months.

From Science Daily

"I would say yesterday was just missing by centimeters," Korda said of her putting performance on Thursday.

From Barron's

The result is a system that produces pulses shorter than 50 femtoseconds, takes up only a few square centimeters, and uses just five components.

From Science Daily