Because the term â centigradeâ was also the Spanish and French language name for a unit of angular measurement ( one-hundredth of a right angle ) and had a similar connotation in other languages , the term â centesimal degreeâ was used when very precise , clear language was required by international standards bodies such as the Bureau international des poids et mesures ( BIPM ) . Because the term centigrade was also the Spanish and French language name for a unit of angular measurement ( 1\/10 ,000 of a right angle ) and had a similar connotation in other languages , the term centesimal degree was used when very precise , unambiguous language was required by international standards bodies such as the Bureau international des poids et mesures ( BIPM ) .