centi-

1. a combining form meaning “hundredth” or “hundred,” used in the formation of compound words:

   centiliter; centimeter; centipede.

centi-

prefix

1. denoting one hundredth c

   centimetre

2. rare.
   denoting a hundred

   centipede

centi–

1. A prefix meaning “a hundredth,” as in centigram, a hundredth of a gram.

Word History and Origins

Origin of centi-¹

< Latin, combining form of centum

Word History and Origins

Origin of centi-¹

from French, from Latin centum hundred

Example Sentences

“There is still hope, because although no more voices have been heard, there may be people trapped behind or under a cement wall, which would make it impossible to hear them,” Enrica Centi, a spokeswoman for the mountain rescuers, told Agence France-Presse.

From The Guardian

Male worms die after mating, but adult females — approximately 80 centi­metres in length — survive and slowly migrate out of the gut.

From Nature

In the next two weeks, work is beginning on the DFDP-2, which will drill a hole 10 centi­metres across and 1.3 kilometres deep at the same site near the village of Whataroa.

From Nature

It can reach more than 2.5 metres tall, grow more than 6 centi­metres a day, produce 600,000 seeds and has a tough, woody stem that can wreck farm equipment that tries to uproot it.

From Nature

I have now before me a book of Pompeo Molmenti's, issued by Bemporad, of Florence; its cost is two francs twenty-five centi�mes; less than one-and-sixpence in your money.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use Centi-

What does centi- mean?

Centi- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hundredth” or “hundred.” In science, centi- is very commonly used as a prefix in units of measure equaling a factor of “one hundredth.”

Centi- comes from the Latin centum, meaning “hundred.” The word cent, as in a hundredth of a dollar and also known as a penny, ultimately comes from this same Latin root, as does percent. The Greek word for “hundred” is hekatón, source of the combining forms hecto-, hect-, hekto-, and hekt-, which you can learn more about in our Words That Use articles for the forms.

What are variants of centi-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, centi- becomes cent-, as in centare.

Examples of centi-

One example of a term featuring centi- that you may have encountered is centimeter, “one 100th of a meter.”

The centi- part of the word here means “hundredth,” as used in units of measure. The -meter part in this word refers to meter, “the fundamental unit of length in the metric system.” Centimeter literally means “a hundredth of a meter.”

Centimeter comes from the French centimètre, which uses the equivalent form of centi- in the language.

What are some words that use the combining form centi-?

Most of the following forms feature the equivalent forms of centi- in French or Latin.

• centiare centibar
• centigram
• centipede
• centigrade
• centiliter

What are some other forms that centi- may be commonly confused with?

• centr-
• centri-
• ceno-

Break it down!

The combining form -pede means “having a foot.” A centipede is a type of insect with many legs—from 17 to 173 pairs of them. What does the name centipede literally translate to?