Plural of centiare; multiple units of area, each equal to one square meter in the metric system.
From the French plural of 'centiare,' formed by adding '-s' to the singular form. The word entered English through scientific and legal contexts in the 19th century.
The plural form might seem unnecessary since you can just say '5 centiares equals 5 square meters,' but legal land documents in French-speaking countries still use this term, making it part of real estate vocabulary!
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