decimeter

American  

[des-uh-mee-ter] / ˈdɛs əˌmi tər /

especially British, decimetre

noun

1. a unit of length equal to 1/10 (0.1) meter. dm

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Etymology

Origin of decimeter

From the French word décimètre, dating back to 1800–10. See deci-, meter ¹

Explanation

In the metric system, a decimeter is a unit of measurement that's about the same as four inches. You can estimate the width of a decimeter by aligning four U.S. quarters horizontally. There are ten decimeters in a meter, and the word itself comes from the French deci- and the Latin decimus, "tenth." Each decimeter is one-tenth of a meter, a measurement that's common in many parts of the world although relatively unusual in the U.S. Americans also spell it differently than most metric system-users, who write decimetre.

Example Sentences

The unit adopted for square measure was the are, equal to 100 square meters; for solid measure, the stère, equal to one cubic meter; and for measure of capacity, the litre, a cubic decimeter.

From Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 437 Volume 17, New Series, May 15, 1852 by Chambers, William

We may estimate it at 1/3 or 1/4 of an ohm for polar surfaces one decimeter square, separated by a distance of five centimeters.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 421, January 26, 1884 by Various

As the litre is a cubic decimeter, the key to the measure of length is also the key to measures of capacity.

From Harper's Young People, April 13, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various

Five nickels in a row will give the length of the decimeter, and two of them will weigh a decagram.

From Reading Made Easy for Foreigners - Third Reader by Hülshof, John L.

Why, that the density of Gallia is just about double the density of the earth, which we know is only five kilogrammes to a cubic decimeter.

From Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space by Verne, Jules