1. A unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter, or approximately 0.39 inches.
Usage: British spelling; American English uses 'centimeter'; Commonly abbreviated as 'cm'

Examples

• The ruler measures 30 centimetres in length.
• She grew 5 centimetres taller over the past year.
• The fabric was cut into strips of 10 centimetres each.
• The wound was about 2 centimetres deep.
• The map shows distances in centimetres.