A centimeter is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one-hundredth of a meter. It is commonly used to measure shorter distances, such as the height of a person or the dimensions of an object. For example, a standard ruler often has markings in centimeters, making it easy to measure items accurately. Centimeters are part of the International System of Units (SI), which is used worldwide for scientific and everyday measurements. In addition to centimeters, other metric units include meters and millimeters, allowing for precise measurements across various scales.