calorie

Sometimes cal·o·ry

[kal-uh-ree]

noun

plural

calories 

1. Thermodynamics.

   1. Also called gram calorie, small calorie. an amount of heat exactly equal to 4.1840 joules. cal

   2. (usually initial capital letter),  kilocalorie. Cal

2. Physiology.

   1. a unit equal to the kilocalorie, used to express the heat output of an organism and the fuel or energy value of food.

   2. a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy.

Calorie

¹

/ ˈkælərɪ /

noun

1. Cal. Also called: kilogram calorie.  kilocalorie.  large calorie. a unit of heat, equal to one thousand calories, often used to express the heat output of an organism or the energy value of food

2. the amount of a specific food capable of producing one thousand calories of energy

calorie

²

/ ˈkælərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: gram calorie.  small calorie.  cal. a unit of heat, equal to 4.1868 joules ( International Table calorie ): formerly defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C under standard conditions. It has now largely been replaced by the joule for scientific purposes Compare Calorie

calorie

1. A unit of energy equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. One calorie is equivalent to 4.1868 joules.

2. Also called small calorie

3. Calorie A unit of heat equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1,000 grams of water by one degree Celsius. This unit is used as a measure of the energy released by food as it is digested by the human body.

4. Also called kilocalorie large calorie

Calorie

1. The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. A calorie (with a lower-case c) is a measurement of the heat needed to raise the temperature of a gram of water, rather than a kilogram.

Word History and Origins

Origin of calorie¹

First recorded in 1800–10; from French, equivalent to calor- (from Latin calor “heat”) + -ie noun suffix; -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of calorie¹

C19: from French, from Latin calor heat

Example Sentences

It can be all-consuming, and involves a lot of calorie counting, working out and dedication.

From BBC

Researchers blame a shift from traditional diets to ones heavily reliant on ultra-processed foods that are relatively cheap and high in calories.

From BBC

Prior to embarking on the challenge, he said he had to consume over 10,000 calories a day to add as much "insulation" as possible in order to combat potential hypothermia.

From BBC

Other time-restricted diets, like the 5:2 plan, limit calories on certain days rather than hours.

From BBC

In 2010, Congress passed the Hunger-Free Kids Act, which prohibited whole milk in school lunches due to concerns that saturated fat and high calories were contributing to a slew of health problems in children.

From Salon