centimeter

centimeter — noun

1. A metric unit for measuring length. One hundred centimeters equal one meter; a s

1.nounA2
Definition

A metric unit for measuring length. One hundred centimeters equal one meter; a single centimeter is about the width of a fingertip.

Example

Greta measured the gap under the door and found it was two centimeters wide.

measurement pattern: [number] centimeters + adjective (wide/long/deep)

The wooden board is exactly one hundred centimeters long.

exactly + measurement for precision

Common collocations
  • centimeters wide
  • centimeters long
  • centimeters deep
  • centimeters across
  • square centimeter
  • cubic centimeter
Synonyms
  • cm

    the written abbreviation; use 'centimeter' in full sentences and 'cm' with numbers in technical writing

Common Mistakes

The table is 120 centemeters long.
The table is 120 centimeters long.
the correct spelling uses 'i' (cent-i-meter), not 'e'.
My pencil is about 15 meters long.
My pencil is about 15 centimeters long.
one meter equals 100 centimeters; a pencil is far shorter than a meter.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Centimeter and inch both measure short distances but belong to different systems. A centimeter is a metric unit — one hundredth of a meter — while an inch is an imperial unit equal to exactly 2.54 centimeters. In Taiwan, centimeters (公分) are standard for everyday use like measuring height or furniture, whereas inches appear mainly on imported goods and screens. A millimeter is one tenth of a centimeter and is used for very fine measurements such as the thickness of paper. A meter equals one hundred centimeters and is the right unit for room-sized distances.

inch ↗millimeter ↗meter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a few centimeters
  • several centimeters

Adverbs

  • about [N] centimeters
  • approximately [N] centimeters
  • exactly [N] centimeters
  • nearly [N] centimeters
  • just [N] centimeters

Phrases

  • to the nearest centimeter

Prepositions

  • in centimeters
  • by [N] centimeters

Etymology

LatinGreekFrenchEnglish

Borrowed from French centimètre in the late 18th century when the metric system was first created after the French Revolution. It combines Latin centum ('hundred') with Greek metron ('measure'), via French mètre.

First known use

1794

1794, in the meaning defined above