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

One is a spindly stick about 2 1/2 feet (80 centimeters) long that could have been used for digging in the mud. —Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026

The 81-centimeter (31-inch) alder-tree staff is 430,000 years old, and may have been used for digging or for food preparation. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026

New York City saw its snowiest day in years, with neighborhoods recording 8 to 15 inches (20 to 38 centimeters) of snow, forcing the nation’s largest public school system to shut down. —Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026

Deep snow — over a foot (30 centimeters) extending in a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) swath from Arkansas to New England — halted traffic, canceled flights and triggered wide school closures Monday. —Charlotte Kramon, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing centimeter

• centimeter-gram-second

Rhymes for centimeter

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

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