centimetro

Forms

centimetro m (plural centimetri)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Italian centi- + metro, on the model of French centimètre (1795).^[2][3][4][1] Sabatini–Coletti places it in the reform of the system of measures after the French Revolution, and Zingarelli takes it straight from the French word.^[5][6]

The first part is Latin centum (“hundred”) in a dividing sense, “a hundredth”, and the second goes back to Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron, “measure”).^[7][8][9] DEI compares Late Latin centimeter, a term of the grammarians for something a hundred metres long.^[10][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in the Notizie del mondo of 1799, for the unit equal to a hundredth of a metre.^[11][4][6]

Semantic evolution

Cattaneo explained the new units to Italian readers: the metre is divided into tenths, hundredths and thousandths, called decimetri, centimetri, millimetri.^[8] Carducci used it of a sculptor measuring someone's hands and feet a centimetri.^[8]

The word became a byword for a tiny space, as in non cedere di un centimetro, and al centimetro means “with great precision”.^[4][2][12] It also names the tailor's tape measure, about a metre and a half long.^[4][2][6] In the CGS system it was also a unit of capacitance and of inductance.^[3]

Timeline

• 1795 – French centimètre is recorded.^[3][4]
• 1799 – Centimetro appears in the Notizie del mondo.^[11]
• 1802 – Sabatini–Coletti's date for the word.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (metrology) A centimetre, a hundredth of a metre (symbol cm).^[4][2][6]
2. (hyperbolic) A tiny amount of space or distance: in macchina non c’era un centimetro libero.^[4][2]
3. A tape measure marked in centimetres, used by tailors.^[4][2][6]
4. (physics, dated) A unit of capacitance or of inductance in the CGS system.^[4][3]

Word family

• centimetrico
• centimetrare

Related words

• metro
• millimetro
• decimetro
• French centimètre

Usage notes

Fixed phrases include centimetro quadrato and centimetro cubo (square and cubic centimetre).^[4][13]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
7. ^ Devoto, Giacomo (1968), Avviamento alla etimologia italiana: dizionario etimologico, 2nd ed., Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
9. ^ a b Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
10. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975)
11. ^ a b Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
12. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
13. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli