centimeter

noun

cen·​ti·​me·​ter ˈsen-tə-ˌmē-tər How to pronounce centimeter (audio) ˈsän- How to pronounce centimeter (audio)
: a unit of length equal to ¹/₁₀₀ meter see Metric System Table

Did you know?

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 frogs are small, growing to be only up to 2.9 inches (7.4 centimeters) in length. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Manhattan is sinking under its own weight at 1.6 centimeters per decade. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 So far this month, 69.2 inches (175 centimeters) of snow have been recorded at the Juneau airport. Becky Bohrer, Fortune, 25 Jan. 2024 In Philadelphia, more than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of snow finally fell after a long dry spell. Valerie Gonzalez, Twin Cities, 16 Jan. 2024 Crews had been working since Sunday, when snow fell at a rate of more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) per hour. John Wawrow, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2024 From then on, the jewels would be locked in a black leather case measuring 39 by 31 by 20 centimeters, then covered with tar paper and sealed with 11 seals. Elisabetta Caprotti, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2024 And then the train passes over them, leaving only like a centimeter to spare. Quanta Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Near the basin’s most intensive farm pumping farther east, Department of Water Resources chief hydrologist Ryan Mitchell said, land has subsided 25 centimeters, or nearly 10 inches, since 2010. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'centimeter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of centimeter was in 1794

Dictionary Entries Near centimeter

Cite this Entry

“Centimeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centimeter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

centimeter

noun
cen·​ti·​me·​ter ˈsent-ə-ˌmēt-ər How to pronounce centimeter (audio) ˈsänt- How to pronounce centimeter (audio)
: 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
: a unit of length equal to ¹/₁₀₀ meter

More from Merriam-Webster on centimeter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!