British and French spelling variant of decigram; a metric unit of mass equal to one-tenth of a gram.
From the same French roots as 'decigram,' but using the 'gramme' spelling variant preferred in British and French scientific writing. Both spellings emerged from the metric system's establishment in the late 1700s.
The spelling difference between 'decigram' (American) and 'decigramme' (British/French) reflects a broader split in how English-speaking countries adopted the metric system. Americans preferred abbreviated spellings while the British initially kept closer to French conventions, even though today both are used interchangeably.
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