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caloric

American  
[kuh-lawr-ik, -lor-] / kəˈlɔr ɪk, -ˈlɒr- /

adjective

  1. of or relating to calories.

    the caloric content of food.

  2. of or relating to heat.

  3. (of engines) driven by heat.

  4. high in calories.

    a caloric meal.


noun

  1. Archaic. heat.

  2. a hypothetical fluid whose presence in matter was thought to determine its thermal state.

caloric British  
/ kəˈlɒrɪk, ˈkælərɪk /

adjective

  1. of or concerned with heat or calories

"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

noun

  1. obsolete a hypothetical elastic fluid formerly postulated as the embodiment of heat

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of caloric

First recorded in 1785–95; from French calorique, equivalent to calor- (from Latin calor “heat”) + -ique adjective-forming suffix; see -ic

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.

See Examples For:

Among GLP-1 users in their survey, 61% of respondents have cut their caloric intake, while 37% are dining out less and roughly half are eating healthier foods.

From The Wall Street Journal May 27, 2026

Indira's mother, a retired nurse, worries about her daughter's reduced caloric intake and her stress levels in these final weeks.

From BBC Mar. 24, 2026

The Big Arch’s 1,057 calories, for example, can be close to half, or even more than half, what’s often suggested for a total day’s caloric intake.

From MarketWatch Jan. 30, 2026

Their self-reported perceptions often did not match the caloric intake recorded through the app.

From Science Daily Dec. 3, 2025

He knew, as do many Gethenians, the caloric and nutritive value of each food; he knew his own requirements under various conditions, and how to estimate mine pretty closely.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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