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

The ground suddenly dropped a few centimeters underneath them.

From Literature

Then a whole squadron of jets, each not more than a centimeter across, flew up his bedspread toward his knee.

From Literature

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

From The Wall Street Journal

Researchers found that the nematodes are concentrated in just the top few centimeters of these mats and are absent below that layer.

From Science Daily

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