caliber

[ kal-uh-ber ]

/ ˈkæl ə bər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR caliber ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

Nearby words

Also especially British, cal·i·bre.

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 (see -pod)

SYNONYMS FOR caliber

4. worth, distinction.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR caliber ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formscal·i·bered; especially British, cal·i·bred, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for caliber

The caliber at which Sam and the entire crew preformed dubbed them professionals not students.
Nitehawk Shorts Festival: ‘Brute,’ a Twisted Take on Playing in the Dark|Julia Grinberg|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was later reported that the weapon was a BB gun that appeared to be a .45-caliber pistol.
The 14 Teens Killed by Cops Since Michael Brown|Nina Strochlic|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, the school has gotten more difficult to get into and the caliber of student attending has improved, as a result.
How The University of Wisconsin Badgers Are Bucking the Big Ten Ticket Flop|Brian Weidy|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When the body of Johnson was exhumed, the medical examiner was acutely chagrined when six .22 caliber rounds were removed from it.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He swaggered into the school cafeteria that day with a .22 caliber handgun and started shooting randomly.
How To Plan A Jailbreak|Seth Ferranti|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"It is heavy," agreed Charley, returning it to Skipper Blink, and eyeing the thirty caliber.
Left on the Labrador|Dillon Wallace
Arm, any pocket revolver of .32 caliber or larger, within the rules.
Pistol and Revolver Shooting|A. L. A. Himmelwright
One paterero of the same casting, caliber fifteen libras, length fourteen diameters.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume XIV., 1606-1609|Various
Liking Andy and wanting a strong ally of his caliber, Frosty had come to love his partner.
Swamp Cat|James Arthur Kjelgaard
Judging from the caliber of the rifle that we later found or become acquainted with, this would more resemble a wound of entry.
Warren Commission (6 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

Word Origin and History for caliber

caliber

1560s, "degree of merit or importance," a figurative use from Middle French calibre (late 15c.), apparently ultimately from Arabic qalib "a mold for casting." Arabic also used the word in the sense "mold for casting bullets," which is the oldest literal meaning in English. Meaning "inside diameter of a gun barrel" is attested from 1580s. Barnhart remarks that Spanish calibre, Italian calibro "appear too late to act as intermediate forms" between the Arabic word and the French.

Medicine definitions for caliber