Millimeter
/ˈmɪlɪˌmiːtər/
Definitions
A unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter; a very small unit of measurement.
/ˈmɪlɪˌmiːtər/
A unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter.
The doctor measured the patient's incision in millimeters.
💡 Simply: Imagine a tiny, tiny ruler. A millimeter is like one of those really small lines on the ruler, and it takes 1000 of them to equal a whole meter! It’s great for measuring small things.
👶 For kids: A millimeter is a super tiny measurement, like a tiny, tiny piece of a ruler. It's smaller than a pencil tip!
More Examples
The thickness of the paper is only a few millimeters.
The dimensions of the microchip were measured in millimeters.
How It's Used
"The diameter of the wire is 1.5 millimeters."
"The rain gauge measured 25 millimeters of rainfall."
From French *millimètre*, from *milli-* (thousandth) + *mètre* (meter). The meter was established as the base unit of length in the metric system during the French Revolution, and its subdivisions (like the millimeter) quickly followed.
The word 'millimeter' has consistently been used since the adoption of the metric system in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, primarily in scientific and engineering contexts. Its usage expanded with broader adoption of the metric system globally.
Memory tip
Think of a small measurement; a thousand of these make a meter.