What does decagramme mean?
A decagramme is a unit of mass in the metric system equal to ten grams. The form with the final "-me" is chiefly British, while American English generally prefers the shorter spelling "decagram". Like other metric units, the word is built from Greek-derived elements: "deca-", meaning ten, combined with "gram", the base unit of mass. Despite being an officially recognised multiple within the International System of Units, the decagram sees very little practical use; cooks, scientists, and traders almost always express such quantities as ten grams instead. It appears mainly in European market and culinary contexts, where goods are sometimes priced per decagram. The word is occasionally confused with "decigram", which is a hundred times smaller. For general purposes, "ten grams" remains the clearer and more familiar expression.
nounA unit of mass in the metric system equal to ten grams. The spelling "decagramme" is chiefly British, with "decagram" preferred in American English.
- A metric unit of mass equal to ten grams.
"The recipe called for two decagrammes of dried mushrooms."
"The jeweller weighed out a decagramme of silver shavings."
"Prices were listed per decagramme at the old-fashioned grocer."
Regular plural; the American-spelled plural is "decagrams".
"The vendor sold herbs by the decagrammes."
In the metric family, the humble decagram sits awkwardly in between: it's one of the few official units so rarely used that most people have never weighed anything in it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of decagramme
Decagramme derives from French décagramme, formed from the Greek prefix "deka-" meaning ten and "gramme", itself from Late Latin gramma, a small unit of weight ultimately from Greek "gramma" (a letter or small weight). The word entered English in the nineteenth century alongside the wider adoption of the metric system. Its cognates include other decimal multiples built on the same prefix, such as decilitre and decimetre.
How decagramme is actually used
Chiefly British spelling; American usage strongly favours "decagram". The unit itself is uncommon in everyday life, appearing mainly in technical or historical contexts.
Easily confused with decagramme
A decigram is one tenth of a gram, whereas a decagram is ten grams — a hundredfold difference.