calibre
Britishnoun
-
the diameter of a cylindrical body, esp the internal diameter of a tube or the bore of a firearm
-
the diameter of a shell or bullet
-
ability; distinction
a musician of high calibre
-
personal character
a man of high calibre
Other Word Forms
- calibred adjective
Etymology
Origin of calibre
C16: from Old French, from Italian calibro, from Arabic qālib shoemaker's last, mould
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.
"It will be hard to find a man of his calibre," Nasreddine al-Maghribi told AFP at a cafe in Libyan capital Tripoli.
From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025
"You don't normally get an exchange student player who is such a high calibre athlete," he recalled.
From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025
Scotland's opponents are as yet unknown, but we can assume the boss and the Scottish FA will be keen for decent calibre to provide something of a test.
From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025
I know they'd like you to get planes of reduced calibre.
From BBC • Nov. 18, 2025
I first got an idea of its calibre when I heard him preach in his own church at Morton.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
