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• calorie
  calorie
• Calorie
  Calorie

  noun

  a unit of heat, equal to one thousand calories, often used to express the heat output of an organism or the energy value of food

calorie

American  

[kal-uh-ree] / ˈkæl ə ri /

Sometimes calory

noun

• calories
  plural

1. Thermodynamics.

   1. Also called gram calorie, small calorie.  an amount of heat exactly equal to 4.1840 joules. cal

   2. (usually initial capital letter) kilocalorie. Cal

2. Physiology.

   1. a unit equal to the kilocalorie, used to express the heat output of an organism and the fuel or energy value of food.

   2. a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy.

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calorie ¹ British  

/ ˈkælərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: gram calorie.   small calorie.   cal.  a unit of heat, equal to 4.1868 joules ( International Table calorie ): formerly defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C under standard conditions. It has now largely been replaced by the joule for scientific purposes Compare Calorie

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Calorie ² British  

/ ˈkælərɪ /

noun

1.  Cal.  Also called: kilogram calorie.   kilocalorie.   large calorie.  a unit of heat, equal to one thousand calories, often used to express the heat output of an organism or the energy value of food

2. the amount of a specific food capable of producing one thousand calories of energy

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calorie Scientific  

/ kăl′ə-rē /

1. A unit of energy equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. One calorie is equivalent to 4.1868 joules.

2. Also called small calorie

3. Calorie A unit of heat equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1,000 grams of water by one degree Celsius. This unit is used as a measure of the energy released by food as it is digested by the human body.

4. Also called kilocalorie large calorie

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Calorie Cultural  

1. The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. A calorie (with a lower-case c) is a measurement of the heat needed to raise the temperature of a gram of water, rather than a kilogram.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• calories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of calorie

First recorded in 1800–10; from French, equivalent to calor- (from Latin calor “heat”) + -ie noun suffix; see -y ³

Explanation

A calorie is the energy that it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree centigrade. More importantly, a calorie is a unit that you can use to measure the energy in your food. From the Latin calor, “to heat,” a calorie is a measurement of heat energy (it may be called a small calorie or a large calorie). When you’re out of the chemistry lab, you’ll most often hear calorie in relation to the energy in food or the energy you burn through exercise. It will also usually be referred to in the plural, as calories. This makes sense: just one calorie won’t make any difference in what you weigh, but many calories will!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

calorie Calorie calories

The magazine also raved about “skinny queen” influencer Amanda Dobler for “not apologizing” after coaching followers to avoid even wasabi and soy sauce, because their negligible calorie counts are deemed excessive.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

Earlier studies found that flies and rodents lived longer when they consumed less protein, even when their overall calorie intake did not decline.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

In a test of four photo-based apps, researchers found that calorie and fat estimates were about one-third too low on average.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

It found one in 10 videos recommended by YouTube's Up Next algorithm featured thinspiration, extreme calorie restriction or other harmful material, although the situation had improved over the past two years.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

On the industrial farm, it takes about ten calories of fossil fuel energy to produce one calorie of food energy.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

"Calorie restriction does so many different things, and no one knows the precise way that it is extending lifespan," Dr. Tyler said.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024

Calorie restriction also forces the body to rely on fuel sources other than glucose, which aging experts think is beneficial for metabolic health and, ultimately, longevity.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 24, 2024

Calorie consumption went from 1,800 to 500 kilocalories per person per day from May 1944 to February 1945.

From Salon ● May 4, 2023

Calorie for calorie, highly processed foods are three times cheaper than healthy food, the report found.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2021

His daughters would never have presented him with a copy of Calorie Counters, the 1-2-3 Way to an All-New You.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

She estimated that she consumed close to 7,000 calories a day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

People who lowered their protein intake lost weight and body fat and showed improvements in fasting blood sugar, despite often consuming more total calories.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

Beyond moderating calories, age-old advice aimed at keeping dogs healthy into old age, including staying current on vaccines and preventive care, and keeping dogs mentally and socially engaged still stands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Both groups were asked to cut their caloric intake by 500 calories a day.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

But despite this apparent munificence, the meat he’d been killing was very lean, and he was consuming fewer calories than he was burning.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer