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cubic centimeter

cubic centimeter

4 3.1
A unit of volume equal to one milliliter
  • noun
  • /ˈkjuːbɪk ˈsɛntɪˌmɛtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : centímetro cúbico
  • 2,500 cubic centimeters of rock and dust a day... for 365 days.
  • grams per cubic centimeter
  • fibers per cubic centimeter
  • particles per cubic centimeter

Examples

  • The motorized surfboard invented by Bob Montgomery includes a 330-cubic-centimeter engine, known as the SuperTorque XT, specially designed to fit within the hull's profile.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Between the lower inversion layer and a second at 3.8 kilometers, instruments detected 10,000 particles per cubic centimeter.

    Academic text (1993)
  • How many cubic centimeters is it?

  • The correct amount is 1 .5 cubic centimeters.

  • For example, an injection of, oh, let us say... ...7 or 8 cubic centimeters... ...then certain brain tissues are destroyed.

  • Finished parts can range from a few cubic centimeters to objects about 15 centimeters on a side.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Its density is a gram per cubic centimeter, about the same as water.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • On average, Neanderthals had brains that were 100 cubic centimeters (about 3 ounces) larger than those of people living today, and greater muscle mass.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The human brain comprises about one hundred billion neurons, with a density of approximately one trillion synapses per cubic centimeter of cortex.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The syringe contained 5 cubic centimeters of medication to be injected.

Synonyms

cc
vscubic centimeter
  • Specialized
90 3.4

A unit of volume equal to one cubic centimeter used to measure small amounts of liquid like medicine or water

is the full unit name used in scientific and medical contexts
milliliter
vscubic centimeter
  • Specialized
11 2.5

A small unit for measuring liquids equal to one thousandth of a liter

is the geometric unit name used mainly in scientific contexts
mil
vscubic centimeter
  • Specialized
3 7.3

A metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a litre

is the full unit name more common in scientific and medical sources
ml
vscubic centimeter
1 1.0

A small measure for liquids equal to one thousandth of a liter

is the full geometric name preferred in technical writing
ccm
vscubic centimeter
  • Specialized
3.6

A unit of volume equal to one cubic centimetre used in medicine and science

is the full unit name rather than an abbreviation

How Big

cubic meter
9 2.7
cubic centimeter
  • Specialized
4 3.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

cubic + centimeter

The meaning is directly compositional: 'cubic' (having three equal dimensions) combined with 'centimeter' (a unit of length) yields the volume of a cube with 1 cm sides, i.e. a unit of volume. This formation (cm³ / cubic centimeter) is standard in scientific registers and similar across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Cubic centimeter comes from the idea of a tiny cube. A centimeter is a small length and cubic means a cube, so a cubic centimeter is the space inside a cube one centimeter on each side, which is why it means a small 'unit of volume'.