millimeter

especially British, mil·li·me·tre

[mil-uh-mee-ter]

noun

1. a unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter and equivalent to 0.03937 inch. mm

millimeter

1. A unit of length in the metric system equal to 0.001 meter.

2. See Table at measurement

Other Word Forms

• millimetric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of millimeter¹

First recorded in 1800–10; from French millimètre; milli-, meter ¹

Example Sentences

The crab is small, being around 15 millimeters in length, and is opalescent white-yellow in color.

Read more on Science Daily

Then he would customize a pre-carved wooden last from Italy, adding thin pieces of leather 1 millimeter at a time to more perfectly mimic the unique shape of the client’s foot.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Last year I came millimeters from death when that bullet pierced through my skin.

Read more on Salon

It's all about how you feel, so why ruin it by looking past the surface, even a millimeter?

Read more on Salon

By contrast, the notorious Newport-Inglewood fault moves far slower, at a rate of 1 millimeter a year.

Read more on Los Angeles Times