dixièmes

Dixièmes is a French term that denotes the tenth part of a whole. It can refer to a fraction, specifically 1/10, or to the ordinal position of an item in a sequence (the tenth element). In mathematics, a dixième is the fraction one tenth, and tenter dixièmes describe numbers with denominator 10, such as seven dixièmes equals 7/10.

In decimal notation, the first digit after the decimal point represents the number of dixièmes. For example, 0,7 is read as seven dixièmes (0,7 = 7/10). The concept also appears when converting fractions to decimals: 3/10 equals 0,3, indeed a value expressed in dixièmes.

Dixièmes are widely used in measurement and everyday language. Phrases such as "un dixième de litre" or "un dixième de seconde" describe 0,1 unit of volume or time, respectively (the latter corresponds to a decisecond). The plural form, “dixièmes,” is used when speaking of several tenth parts or when referring to multiple instances of tenth parts.

Etymologically, dixième derives from dix, meaning ten, with the French ordinal suffix -ième. The construction reflects the idea of one tenth of a unit, as well as the ordinal sense of being the tenth item in a sequence. Dixièmes form a basic building block in the system of fractions and the decimal notation widely used in science and daily life.