A unit of area in the metric system equal to one hundredth of an are, or one square meter.
From French 'centi-' (one hundredth, from Latin 'centum' meaning hundred) + 'are' (a metric unit of area). The word evolved in the 19th century as scientists developed the metric system.
The centiar is so small that 10,000 of them equal just one hectare—the metric system's obsession with powers of ten means you can convert between any metric area units just by moving decimal points, which is why the metric system conquered the scientific world!
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