1. A monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a franc, formerly used in France and other French-speaking countries.
Usage: plural of centime; historical currency; used in France until the adoption of the euro in 2002
2. A monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a dollar or other decimal currency in various countries.
Usage: used in Belgium, Switzerland, and other nations; general term for one-hundredth subdivisions of currency

Examples

• The old French coin collection included several centimes from the 1950s.
• She paid fifty centimes for a postage stamp in Paris.
• The price was marked as 2.75 francs, or 275 centimes.
• Belgian centimes were similar in value to French centimes before the euro.
• He found a handful of centimes in his grandfather's desk drawer.