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 implant, measuring just 2 by 2 millimeters, is placed in the area of the retina where photoreceptors have been lost.

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To overcome this scale mismatch, the researchers developed a chip-sized spectroscope that compresses THz light -- the range where many quantum effects occur -- from about 1 millimeter down to just 3 micrometers.

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

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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.

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

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