decilitre

Decilitre, spelled decilitre in British English and deciliter in American English, is a unit of volume in the metric system equal to one tenth of a litre. Its symbol is typically dL, though some texts use dl. The prefix deci- denotes a tenth, so 1 dL = 0.1 L.

Conversions and relationships: One decilitre equals 0.1 litres or 100 millilitres. Accordingly, 1 litre equals 10 decilitres. In cubic metre terms, 1 dL equals 0.0001 m^3 (since 1 L = 0.001 m^3).

Uses and contexts: Decilitres are commonly used for measuring liquids in cooking, food labeling, and beverage packaging in many countries. In recipes and nutritional information, volumes may be expressed in dL, especially where metric measurements predominate. In scientific laboratories, millilitres and litres are more frequently used, but decilitres can appear in certain contexts or regional practices.

Notation and status: The litre is a non-SI unit that is accepted for use with the International System of Units. The decilitre is a derived unit formed from the deci- prefix and the litre. The litre is most often represented by the symbol L, with some style guides also allowing l; the decilitre is written as dL.