millimeter

noun

mil·​li·​me·​ter ˈmi-lə-ˌmē-tər 

variants US millimeter or British millimetre

: a unit of length equal to 1/1000 meter see Metric System Table

Examples of millimeter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bimota retunes the Balance Free Fork with a low spring rate, firmer compression damping, and softer rebound, while the rear damper can adjust up to 30 millimeters with an eccentric bolt. — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026

Direct inhibitory currents appeared in a third of cells two millimeters out, and stimulating the visual cortex had measurable effects as far as frontal motor areas. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026

For 13 years, the high-precision instrument had been bolted to a rocky outcrop in the hills of western Venezuela, quietly tracking the millimeter-scale movements of the Boconó fault, which was the likely source of the first of the two quakes. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026

The researchers subsequently formed PhosCage into millimeter-sized beads, making the material easier to handle and potentially deploy in larger systems. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French millimètre, from milli- + mètre meter

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for millimeter

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

Kids Definition

millimeter

noun

mil·​li·​me·​ter ˈmil-ə-ˌmēt-ər 

: a measure of length equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ meter see metric system table

Medical Definition

millimeter

noun

mil·​li·​me·​ter

variants or chiefly British millimetre

ˈmil-ə-ˌmēt-ər 

: one thousandth of a meter

—abbreviation mm