centimeter

American  

[sen-tuh-mee-ter] / ˈsɛn təˌmi tər /

especially British, centimetre

noun

1. one 100th of a meter, equivalent to 0.3937 inch. cm, cm.

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centimeter Scientific  

/ sĕn′tə-mē′tər /

1. A unit of length in the metric system equal to 0.01 meter.

2. See Table at measurement

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centimeter Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of centimeter

From the French word centimètre, dating back to 1795–1805. See centi-, meter ¹

Example Sentences

Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference greater than 102 centimeters for men and 88 centimeters for women.

From Science Daily

In practice, even foams just a few tens of centimeters high can leak easily.

From Science Daily

For example, the North American and Eurasian plates are separating at about 2.5 centimeters, or 1 inch, per year.

From Science Daily

Everywhere I looked, every centimeter of floor space, was occupied.

From Literature

Boxwork formations also exist on Earth, but they are usually only a few centimeters tall and often appear in caves or dry sandy environments.

From Science Daily