# stade

/ˈsteɪd/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stade
Updated: 2026-05-30

## Definition

a very small unit of measurement used in the past to describe the size of tiny things. It is much smaller than a millimeter and is mostly used in old medical or scientific books.

For teachers: a unit of linear measure equal to one-thousandth of a millimeter, or one micrometer. Primarily encountered in historical medical or geological literature; largely replaced by the micrometer in modern scientific contexts.

## Examples

- The doctor noted the size of the cells in stades.
- In the nineteenth century, scientists used the stade to measure the diameter of microscopic organisms before the micrometer became standard.
- The original manuscript describes the mineral grains as being several stades in length, a measurement that would now be expressed in micrometers to ensure international scientific consistency.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.