# Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/The Metric or French System

THE METRIC or FRENCH SYSTEM.
MEASURES OF LENGTH. :
The MÈTRE, the unit of length, is the ten-millionth part of a line drawn from the Pole to the Equator. :
| 1 Mètre | = | as above. | as above. |
| 1 Décamètre | = | 10 | mètres. |
| 1 Hectomètre | = | 100 | " |
| 1 Kilomètre | = | 1000 | " |
| 1 Myriamètre | = | 10,000 | " |
| 1 Decimètre | = | $^1$⁄$_{10}$th | of a mètre. |
| 1 Centimètre | = | $^1$⁄$_{100}$th | " |
| 1 Millimètre | = | $^1$⁄$_{1000}$th | " |
The Greek prefixes (deca, hecto, kilo, myria) denote multiplication.
The Latin prefixes (deci, centi, milli) denote division. :
SQUARE MEASURE. :
The ARE, the unit of surface measure, is a square the side of which is ten mètres long. :
| 1 Are | = | 100 | Square mètres. |
| 1 Decare | = | 10 | ares. |
| 1 Hectare | = | 100 | " |
| 1 Déciare | = | $^1$⁄$_{10}$th | of an are. |
| 1 Centiare | = | $^1$⁄$_{100}$th | of an are, |
| or, mètre carré (square mètre). ||||
MEASURES OF WEIGHT. :
The GRAMME, the unit of weight, is the weight of a cubic centimètre of distilled water at 4° Centigrade. :
| 1 Gramme | = | as above. | as above. |
| 1 Décagramme | = | 10 | gram. |
| 1 Hectogramme | = | 100 | " |
| 1 Kilogramme, or kilo | = | 1000 | " |
| 1 Myriagramme | = | 10,000 | " |
| 1 Décigramme | = | $^1$⁄$_{10}$th | of a gram. |
| 1 Centigramme | = | $^1$⁄$_{100}$th | " |
| 1 Milligramme | = | $^1$⁄$_{1000}$th | " |
½ kilogramme is called a livre. :
MEASURES OF CAPACITY, DRY AND LIQUID. :
The LITRE, the unit of the measures of capacity, dry and liquid, is the volume of a cubic decimètre. :
| 1 Litre | = | as above. | as above. |
| 1 Décalitre | = | 10 | litres. |
| 1 Hectolitre | = | 100 | " |
| 1 Décilitre | = | $^1$⁄$_{10}$th | of a litre. |
| 1 Centilitre | = | $^1$⁄$_{100}$th | " |
| 1 Millilitre | = | $^1$⁄$_{1000}$th | " |
MONEY. :
| 1 Franc | = | 100 | centimes. |
| | A franc = 5 grammes | A franc = 5 grammes | A franc = 5 grammes |
| | | (4.5 silver, and .5 alloy). | (4.5 silver, and .5 alloy). |
| 1 Décime | = | 10 | centimes. |
| 1 Sou | = | 5 | " |
FRENCH LINEAL MEASURES, &c. = BRITISH. :
| French | British. |
| LINEAL. |
| Millimètre | 0.0394 inch. |
| Centimètre | 0.3937 "or less than half an inch. |
| Décimètre | 3.937 inchesnearly 4 inches. |
| Mètre | 39.3708 "about 3 feet 3 inches. |
| Hectomètre | 0.0621 mile"$^1$⁄$_{16}$th of a mile. |
| Kilomètre | 0.6214 "8 kilomètres = 5 miles. |
| SQUARE. |
| Centiare | 1.196 square yardor 1+$^1$⁄$_5$th square yard. |
| Are | 3.954 poles40½ ares = 1 acre. |
| Hectare | 2.471 acresnearly 2½ acres. |
| BRITISH LINEAL MEASURES, &c. = FRENCH. ||
| British. | French. |
| LINEAL. |
| Inch | 25.399 millimètres. |
| Foot | 30.479 centimètres. |
| Yard | 0.914 mètre. |
| Chain [22 yards] | 20.116 mètres. |
| Furlong [10 chains] | 201.164  " |
| Mile | 1.609 kilomètre.5 miles = 8 kilomètres, nearly. |
| SQUARE. |
| Square Foot | 9.29 square décimètres. |
| Acre | 0.405 hectareor about 40 ares. |
| Square mile | 2.599 square kilomètres.100 square miles = 260 sq. kilomètres. |
| FRENCH WEIGHTS = BRITISH. ||
| French | British. |
| Décigramme | 1.543 grainor about 1½ grains. |
| Gramme | 15.432 grains.28⅓ grammes = 1 ounce avoirdupois. |
| Décagramme | 0.353 ounce avoirdupoisabout ⅓ of an ounce avoirdupois. |
| Hectogramme | 3.527 ouncesnearly ¼ pound. |
| Kilogramme or kilo | 2.2046 pounds.In trade, a kilo is reckoned at 10 per cent. more than 2 pounds. |
| BRITISH WEIGHTS = FRENCH. ||
| British. | French. |
| Grain | .0648 gramme. |
| Ounce (avoirdupois) | 28⅓ grammes. |
| Pound " | 454 " |
| Pound (troy) | 373 grammes. |
| Cwt (avoirdupois) | 50.8 kilos. |
| Ton | 1015 " |
| FRENCH LIQUID AND CORN MEASURES = BRITISH. ||
| French | British. |
| Litre | 1.76 pint (imperial)or about 1¾ pints. |
| Hectolitre | 22.01 gallons"22 gallons. |
| BRITISH LIQUID AND CORN MEASURES = FRENCH. ||
| British. | French. |
| Pint | 0.568 litreor more than ½ litre. |
| Quart | 1.136 "about 1⅛ litres. |
| Gallon | 4.543 litres"4½ litres11 gallons. |
| Peck | 9.087 ""9 litres.= 50 litres. |
| Bushel [8 gallons] | 36.348 ""36⅓ litres. |
| Quarter [8 bushels] | 2.908 hectolitres"3 hectolitres. |
MONEY.
| 1 £. | 25 francs 22 centimes, | or about 25 francs. |
| 1 s. | 1 franc 26 centimes, | "1¼ franc. |
| 1 d. | 10 centimes. |
| ½ d. | 5 centimes, or a 'sou.' |
| A franc is about 9½ d. 100 francs = £4, nearly. A milliard of francs (1,000,000,000) = £40,000,000, nearly. |||