A centiliter is a unit for measuring liquid volume in the metric system, equal to one-hundredth of a liter. The prefix centi means “one hundred,” so just as a centimeter is one-hundredth of a meter, a centiliter is one-hundredth of a liter.

You probably won't encounter centiliters much in everyday American life, since we typically measure liquids in cups, ounces, and gallons. But in countries that use the metric system, centiliters appear on measuring cups and in recipes. A can of soda contains about 35 centiliters, and a typical water bottle holds around 50 centiliters.

Scientists and pharmacists sometimes use centiliters when measuring smaller amounts of liquids with precision. Ten centiliters equals one deciliter, and one hundred centiliters equals one liter. The metric system makes these conversions easy because everything works in powers of ten, like moving a decimal point rather than memorizing that three teaspoons equal one tablespoon or that four cups equal one quart.