centi-

Centi- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hundredth” or “hundred.” In science, centi- is very commonly used as a prefix in units of measure equaling a factor of “one hundredth.”

Centi- comes from the Latin centum, meaning “hundred.” The word cent, as in a hundredth of a dollar and also known as a penny, ultimately comes from this same Latin root, as does percent. The Greek word for “hundred” is hekatón, source of the combining forms hecto-, hect-, hekto-, and hekt-, which you can learn more about in our Words That Use articles for the forms.

What are variants of centi-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, centi- becomes cent-, as in centare.

One example of a term featuring centi- that you may have encountered is centimeter, “one 100th of a meter.”

The centi- part of the word here means “hundredth,” as used in units of measure. The -meter part in this word refers to meter, “the fundamental unit of length in the metric system.” Centimeter literally means “a hundredth of a meter.”

Centimeter comes from the French centimètre, which uses the equivalent form of centi- in the language.

What are some words that use the combining form centi-?

Most of the following forms feature the equivalent forms of centi- in French or Latin.

• centiare centibar
• centigram
• centipede
• centigrade
• centiliter

What are some other forms that centi- may be commonly confused with?

• centr-
• centri-
• ceno-

The combining form -pede means “having a foot.” A centipede is a type of insect with many legs—from 17 to 173 pairs of them. What does the name centipede literally translate to?