Plural of millimeter; units of length equal to one-thousandth of a meter.
From 'milli-' (Latin for thousand, meaning one-thousandth) + 'meter' (from Greek 'metron' meaning measure). This prefix-root combination was standardized during the metric system's creation in 1790s France.
The metric system deliberately built clarity into its prefixes—milli-, centi-, kilo—so any fluent speaker knows millimeter is one-thousandth of a meter without memorizing, while inches and feet have no logical relationship, making metric superior for science but less charming for everyday life.
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