ENGLISH
REFERENCE

millimeter

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈmɪɫəˌmitɝ// mil·lime·ter

n. a very small unit of length. There are ten of these in one centimeter and one thousand in a meter.

n. a metric unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter. Often used for precise measurements in technical or scientific contexts.


SIMPLE

The insect is only one millimeter long.

CONTEXTUAL

The carpenter measured the gap carefully to ensure it was within a millimeter of the plan.

COMPLEX

Modern manufacturing requires components to be machined with a tolerance of less than a millimeter to ensure the mechanical parts fit together perfectly.

Synonyms
Origin

From French millimètre, as if milli- + meter.

Usage

Commonly abbreviated as 'mm' in both technical and everyday writing.

Pitfall

ten millimeterten millimetersWhen used as a noun with a number greater than one, it must be plural; the singular form is only used when it acts as a modifier before another noun.

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