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

It had a 1,971-cubic centimeter, in-line six-cylinder engine, and BMW is still famous for building its flagship in-line six-cylinder today, all over the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025

“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

Interplanetary space contains just a few dozen particles in each cubic centimeter — in comparison, the air we breathe has tens of quintillions of molecules per cubic centimeter.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 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

“Calm yourself, Marie. One centimeter at a time.”

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr