Words / B2

MIL-im-eet-uh/ˈmɪlɪmiːtə/

A millimetre is one thousandth of a metre (British spelling): to the nearest millimetre; 5 mm. Centimetre is ten times larger; inch is imperial. Not “about a bit”. Mix-up: millilitre is volume (ml); millimetre vs millimeter (US). Do not write mm for millilitres.

Meaning

A unit of length equal to one thousandth of a metre (British spelling).

Examples

• “Measure to the nearest millimetre, the practical says, not “about a bit”.”
• “A two-millimetre error still matters on the engineering drawing, which is the tolerance sense.”

Good to know

a millimetre; mm. 10 mm = 1 cm. Volume twin: millilitre. US: millimeter. Sciences and DT. Length, not volume.

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