A metric unit of length equal to one-tenth of a meter, or about 3.94 inches.
From French 'décimètre,' combining Latin 'decimus' (tenth) with Greek 'metron' (measure). Standardized with the metric system in the late 1700s.
While the decimeter is perfectly logical—one-tenth of a meter—almost no one actually uses it! Scientists jump straight from meters to centimeters, making the decimeter one of the metric system's forgotten middle children.
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