centimeter
noun
cen·ti·me·ter
ˈsen-tə-ˌmē-tər 
ˈsän-
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
Bring the limit down to about a centimeter and that number increases to over a million.
—
New Atlas, 22 May 2025
While change in sea level rise is often measured in centimeters or inches, the ice melt potential of these sheets could raise sea levels dozens of feet.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 May 2025
As water pooled, the edges crept outward, soaking into the pockmarked snow, which was up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) thick and crusty like hardened white frosting.
—Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
More recently, however, Raul persuaded his father to downsize the scarabs from about six centimeters, or almost 2.5 inches, to as small as 1.5 centimeters.
—Kathleen Beckett, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for centimeter
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New Atlas, 22 May 2025
While change in sea level rise is often measured in centimeters or inches, the ice melt potential of these sheets could raise sea levels dozens of feet.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 May 2025
As water pooled, the edges crept outward, soaking into the pockmarked snow, which was up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) thick and crusty like hardened white frosting.
—Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
More recently, however, Raul persuaded his father to downsize the scarabs from about six centimeters, or almost 2.5 inches, to as small as 1.5 centimeters.
—Kathleen Beckett, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for centimeter
Cite this Entry
“Centimeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centimeter. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
centimeter
noun
cen·ti·me·ter
ˈsent-ə-ˌmēt-ər
ˈsänt-
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
: a unit of length equal to ¹/₁₀₀ meter
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