centimeter

noun

cen·​ti·​me·​ter ˈsen-tə-ˌmē-tər  ˈsän- 

: a unit of length equal to 1/100 meter see Metric System Table

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In the metric system, which is used in most countries of the world, each basic unit of measure of length, area, or volume can be divided into centimeters. A meter consists of 100 centimeters, a square meter consists of 10,000 square centimeters, and a cubic meter consists of 1,000,000 cubic centimeters.

Examples of centimeter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Juan de Fuca plate, located in the northeast Pacific Ocean off the West Coast of North America, is moving eastward toward the North American plate at a rate of about four centimeters per year, according to the PNSN. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 14 May 2026

The detector, made of crystals of gallium and tungsten, is embedded in a 3U cubesat (about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide, an equivalent to 30 and 10 centimeters), which will orbit the planet at the altitude of 310 miles (500 kilometers) for about two years. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 13 May 2026

At 197 centimeters, or about 6’5″, the actor is not quite as tall as Semjonova’s 213 centimeters, or 7′. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026

When hunting, the worm approaches slowly, often within a few centimeters of its target, which are typically small arthropods like insects. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing centimeter

• centimeter-gram-second

Rhymes for centimeter

• amphitheater
• bolometer
• centimetre
• decimeter
• ergometer
• expositor
• gasometer
• gravimeter
• hexameter
• manometer
• milliliter
• millimeter

Kids Definition

centimeter

noun

cen·​ti·​me·​ter ˈsent-ə-ˌmēt-ər  ˈsänt- 

: a unit of length equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀ meter see metric system

Medical Definition

centimeter

noun

cen·​ti·​me·​ter

variants or chiefly British centimetre

ˈsent-ə-ˌmēt-ər  ˈsänt- 

: a unit of length equal to ¹/₁₀₀ meter