centimeter

/ˌsɛntəˈmidər/

/ˈsɛntɪmitə/

Other forms: centimeters

In the metric system, a centimeter is a unit of measurement that's about one-third the size of an inch. There are approximately 30 centimeters in a foot.

The word centimeter comes from the French centimètre, a combination of the Latin word for "hundred," centum, and the French mètre. A centimeter is one hundredth of a meter—in other words, there are one hundred centimeters in one meter. In just about every part of the world besides the U.S., this word is spelled centimetre.

Definitions of centimeter

1. noun

   a metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter
   synonyms: centimetre, cm

   type of:

   metric linear unit

   a linear unit of distance in metric terms