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micrometre
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micrometre

unit of measurement
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Also known as: μm, micron
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Also called:
micron

micrometre, metric unit of measure for length equal to 0.001 mm, or about 0.000039 inch. Its symbol is μm. The micrometre is commonly employed to measure the thickness or diameter of microscopic objects, such as microorganisms and colloidal particles. Minute distances—for example, the wavelengths of infrared radiation—are also given in micrometres.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.