caliber
Americannoun
-
the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube.
a pipe of three-inch caliber.
-
Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.
-
degree of capacity or competence; ability.
a mathematician of high caliber.
-
degree of merit or excellence; quality.
the high moral caliber of the era.
- Synonyms:
- distinction, worth
Other Word Forms
- calibered adjective
Etymology
Origin of caliber
1560–70; variant of calibre < Middle French ≪ Arabic qālib mold, last < Greek kālápous shoe last, equivalent to kāla- combining form of kâlon wood + poús foot ( -pod )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Tour on Monday unveiled the “Returning Member Program,” which provides Koepka and other players of his caliber a fast track to reinstatement.
“He’s had a tremendous season — very MVP caliber in every way,” Harbaugh said.
From Los Angeles Times
“Post-Gazette journalists have done award-winning work for decades and we’re going to pursue all options to make sure that Pittsburgh continues to have the caliber of journalism it deserves.”
From MarketWatch
A stylist of Kwatra’s caliber could earn several hundred thousand dollars a year before taxes, according to people who work in the industry.
But it doesn’t fly without an actor of Seyfried’s caliber, who can summon unpredictable mayhem from her fingertips.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
