What does cmd /C mean?

I can understand cmd but not cmd /c. I was trying to invoke a java program from the current for which I use Runtime.getRuntime().exec("cmd /C java helloworld"); There arises my doubt.

The part you should be interested in is the /? part, which should solve most other questions you have with the tool.

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:>cmd /?
Starts a new instance of the Windows XP command interpreter
CMD [/A | /U] [/Q] [/D] [/E:ON | /E:OFF] [/F:ON | /F:OFF] [/V:ON | /V:OFF]
[[/S] [/C | /K] string]
/C      Carries out the command specified by string and then terminates
/K      Carries out the command specified by string but remains
/S      Modifies the treatment of string after /C or /K (see below)
/Q      Turns echo off
/D      Disable execution of AutoRun commands from registry (see below)
/A      Causes the output of internal commands to a pipe or file to be ANSI
/U      Causes the output of internal commands to a pipe or file to be
Unicode
/T:fg   Sets the foreground/background colors (see COLOR /? for more info)
/E:ON   Enable command extensions (see below)
/E:OFF  Disable command extensions (see below)
/F:ON   Enable file and directory name completion characters (see below)
/F:OFF  Disable file and directory name completion characters (see below)
/V:ON   Enable delayed environment variable expansion using ! as the
delimiter. For example, /V:ON would allow !var! to expand the
variable var at execution time.  The var syntax expands variables
at input time, which is quite a different thing when inside of a FOR
loop.
/V:OFF  Disable delayed environment expansion.

/C Carries out the command specified by the string and then terminates.

You can get all the cmd command line switches by typing cmd /?.

CMD.exe

Start a new CMD shell

Syntax
      CMD [charset] [options] [My_Command] 

Options       

**/C     Carries out My_Command and then
terminates**

From the help.