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décima

tenth

noun DEH-see-mah Rare
Numbers & Measures Cardinal Numbers

Also means

tenth of a point

Usage Note

Décima as a noun most often appears in sports results and temperature readings, where it means a tenth of a unit (ganó por décimas = won by tenths of a second; la fiebre le subió unas décimas). It is also a classical ten-line Spanish verse form. Do not confuse with décimo (m), which is the ordinal adjective or a lottery ticket.

Examples

"El atleta ganó por unas pocas décimas."

Natural Translation

The athlete won by a few tenths of a second.

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