What does CC stand for? The two answers people need most are carbon copy, the line in an email where you add extra recipients, and cubic centimeters, the unit that tells you the size of an engine on a motorcycle, scooter, dirt bike or lawn mower. Which one you are reading depends on whether you are looking at an inbox or a spec sheet.
A handful of smaller meanings exist too, such as closed captioning on a TV remote and credit card on a receipt. The table further down sorts them out.
Quick facts
Stands for (email)
Carbon copyStands for (engines)
Cubic centimeters, a measure of volumeOther meanings
Closed captioning, credit card, community collegeHow to say it
See see, letter by letterWritten as
Cc or CC in email headers, cc after a numberRelated terms
BCC, blind carbon copyHandy fact
1 cc equals 1 milliliter
What does CC stand for in an email?
In email, CC means carbon copy. Anyone you place in the CC field gets the same message as the person in the To field, and every recipient can see who was copied.
The name goes back to typewriters. To make a second copy of a letter, typists put a sheet of carbon paper between two sheets of paper, and the pressure of the keys printed the words on both. A note like "cc: Ms. Lopez" at the bottom of the letter told the reader who else got a copy. Email kept the label long after the carbon paper disappeared.
A work email: To: the client. CC: your manager. The client is the person you expect to reply. Your manager is copied so they know what was said, not because they need to act.
If you want to copy someone without the others seeing, use BCC, blind carbon copy.
CC meaning on engines, bikes and mowers
On a motor, cc stands for cubic centimeters, and it measures engine displacement: the total volume the pistons sweep through inside the cylinders. A bigger number usually means a bigger engine that can make more power, though design matters too.
- A 50 cc scooter is a small around town machine.
- A 125 cc or 250 cc bike is common for new riders and dirt trails.
- A 1,000 cc motorcycle is a large, powerful street bike.
- Car engines are usually listed in liters instead, and the math is easy: 1,000 cc equals 1.0 liter, so a 2,000 cc engine is a 2.0 liter engine.
Some state licensing and registration rules depend on engine size, so the cc number can matter for paperwork as well as speed. You can compare other units on the pages for liter and RPM.
Other CC meanings, sorted by where you see them
| Setting | Full form | Sample use |
|---|---|---|
| Email or a letter | Carbon copy | "Cc: Human Resources" |
| Engine or bike specs | Cubic centimeters | "a 250 cc dirt bike" |
| Medicine and labs | Cubic centimeters, same as mL | "Draw 5 cc of fluid" |
| TV remote or video player | Closed captioning | "Press CC to turn on text" |
| Receipts and order forms | Credit card | "Payment method: CC" |
| School talk | Community college | "I took calculus at the CC" |
In medicine, cc and mL measure exactly the same amount. Many hospitals now prefer mL in written orders because a handwritten cc can be misread.
How to write the CC abbreviation
- Email field: most programs show "Cc" or "CC." Both are fine.
- Engines: lowercase "cc" after the number with a space, as in "250 cc." Ads often run it together, "250cc."
- As a verb: "Please cc me on that thread" is normal office English. The past tense is cc'd or cc'ed.
- No periods in modern use. Older letters sometimes show "c.c."
CC in real sentences
- "I cc'd the whole team so nobody missed the schedule change."
- "Her first motorcycle was a 300 cc model with an easy clutch."
- "Turn on CC so we can follow the dialogue in the noisy room."
- "Leave the principal in CC, but send it to the coach."
- "The nurse measured 10 cc of saline."
Quick tips for reading CC
Look at what comes before it. A number before cc almost always means cubic centimeters. A name or email address after CC means carbon copy. On a remote or a video screen, it is captions. If you like sorting out short forms like this, the famous acronyms list and the guide to acronym vs abbreviation are good next stops.
Questions people ask
What does CC mean in an email?
It means carbon copy. People in the CC line receive the message and can see each other, but the main reply is expected from the person in the To line.
What does CC stand for in bikes?
On motorcycles, scooters and dirt bikes, cc means cubic centimeters of engine displacement. It tells you how large the engine is.
Is cc the same as mL?
Yes. One cubic centimeter holds exactly one milliliter, so 5 cc and 5 mL are the same amount.
What is the difference between CC and BCC?
Everyone can see who is in the CC line. People in the BCC line are hidden from the other recipients.
Is CC an abbreviation or an acronym?
It is an abbreviation said letter by letter, see see. It is never pronounced as one word.