millimetre
UK[ˈmɪlɪmiːtə]US[ˈmɪləˌmiːtər]
n
a unit of length equal to one thousandth of a metre.
Morpheme Breakdown
milli
metre
milli
thousandth
metre
measure
Etymology
the word 'millimetre' is a modern scientific compound formed in french from classical elements. the prefix 'milli-' derives from latin 'mille', meaning 'thousand', and was adopted into the metric system to denote one thousandth of a base unit. the base 'metre' originates from greek 'metron', meaning 'a measure'. the term thus logically and literally means 'a thousandth of a measure', precisely defining a very small unit of length within a decimal system of measurement. this construction exemplifies the systematic and internationally comprehensible nature of scientific vocabulary.
Analysis
Structure: milli (thousandth) + metre (measure)
- milli: from latin 'mille', meaning 'thousand'. a prefix denoting a factor of one thousandth.
- metre: from greek 'metron', meaning 'measure'. a combining form denoting a unit of measurement.
Examples
the gap must be less than one millimetre wide.
she carefully measured the insect's wing, which was only two millimetres long.
the precision engineering required tolerances within a fraction of a millimetre.