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.

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noun

1. Archaic. heat.

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

caloric British  

/ kəˈlɒrɪk, ˌkæləˈrɪsɪtɪ, ˈkælərɪk /

adjective

1. of or concerned with heat or calories

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noun

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

Other Word Forms

• calorically
  adverb
• caloricity
  noun
• noncaloric
  adjective

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

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

It also has one of the world’s highest food-import dependence ratios; roughly half of the country’s caloric needs are met through imported food.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

The researchers controlled for a variety of factors that can influence health including tobacco use, physical activity, daily caloric intake, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 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

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