centimeter

[ sen-tuh-mee-ter ]
/ ˈsɛn təˌmi tər /

noun

one 100th of a meter, equivalent to 0.3937 inch. Abbreviation: cm, cm.
Also especially British, cen·ti·me·tre.

Origin of centimeter

From the French word centimètre, dating back to 1795–1805. See centi-, meter1

Example sentences from the Web for centimeter

Medical definitions for centimeter

centimeter
[ sĕntə-mē′tər ]

n.

A unit of length equal to one hundredth (10-2) of a meter.

Scientific definitions for centimeter

centimeter
[ sĕntə-mē′tər ]

A unit of length in the metric system equal to 0.01 meter. See Table at measurement.

Cultural definitions for centimeter

centimeter
[ (sen-tuh-mee-tuhr) ]

A unit of length in the metric system; one-hundredth of a meter, or about two-fifths of an inch.