caliper

or cal·li·per

[ kal-uh-per ]

/ ˈkæl ə pər /

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See synonyms for caliper on Thesaurus.com

noun

Usually calipers. an instrument for measuring thicknesses and internal or external diameters inaccessible to a scale, consisting usually of a pair of adjustable pivoted legs.

any of various calibrated instruments for measuring thicknesses or distances between surfaces, usually having a screwed or sliding adjustable piece.Compare vernier caliper.

thickness or depth, as of paper or a tree.

Usually calipers. the pincers of an earwig.

Automotive. the part of a disc-brake assembly that straddles the disc and presses the brake pads against it.

a similar part used with a hand brake on a bicycle.

verb (used with object)

to measure with calipers.

verb (used without object)

to use calipers.

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Origin of caliper

First recorded in 1580–90; presumably variant of caliber

Words nearby caliper

calimanco, Calimere, calimocho, calipash, calipee, caliper, caliper rule, caliph, caliphate, calisaya, calisthenics

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use caliper in a sentence

That’s easy for doctor’s offices to keep around, and easier to train people to use than a pair of calipers.
There are better ways to measure body fat than BMI|Sara Chodosh|October 11, 2021|Popular-Science
They might stop going altogether if someone starts trying to pinch their fat with metal calipers.
There are better ways to measure body fat than BMI|Sara Chodosh|October 11, 2021|Popular-Science
The scale and object to be marked are fastened in line with one another, and the caliper bar is used from step to step.
A Handbook of Laboratory Glass-Blowing|Bernard D. Bolas
The other extremities of these buttons are spherical and polished and serve as caliper points in the operation of measuring.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 363, December 16, 1882|Various

An inspector would need to be equipped with an ordinary rectangular caliper.
The Protection of Fresh-Water Mussels|R. E. Coker
This measurement can be got by removing both end stones and taking the distance with a Boley gage or a douzieme caliper.
Watch and Clock Escapements|Anonymous
After the adjusting screw to the caliper is set, the spring of the blades allows of their removal.
Watch and Clock Escapements|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for caliper

caliper

/ (ˈkælɪpə) /

noun

the usual US spelling of calliper

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for caliper

caliper

[ kăl′ə-pər ]

An instrument consisting of two curved legs connected at a hinge, used to measure thickness and distance. Often used in the plural as calipers.

caliper

or cal·li·per

Origin of caliper

Words nearby caliper

Words related to caliper

How to use caliper in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for caliper

Scientific definitions for caliper