cal·i·ber

[kal-uh-ber]
noun
1.
the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube: a pipe of three-inch caliber.
2.
Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.
3.
degree of capacity or competence; ability: a mathematician of high caliber.
4.
degree of merit or excellence; quality: the high moral caliber of the era.
Also, especially British, cal·i·bre.

Origin:
1560–70; variant of calibre < Middle French ≪ Arabic qālib mold, last < Greek kālápous shoe last, equivalent to kāla- combining form of kâlon wood + poús foot (see -pod)

Related forms
cal·i·bered; especially British, cal·i·bred, adjective

Synonyms
4. worth, distinction.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To caliber
00:10
Caliber is an SAT word you need to know.
So is disperse. Does it mean:
scatter
making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or the like:
LEARN MORE SAT WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Collins
World English Dictionary
calibre or caliber (ˈkælɪbə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  the diameter of a cylindrical body, esp the internal diameter of a tube or the bore of a firearm
2.  the diameter of a shell or bullet
3.  ability; distinction: a musician of high calibre
4.  personal character: a man of high calibre
 
[C16: from Old French, from Italian calibro, from Arabic qālib shoemaker's last, mould]
 
caliber or caliber
 
—n
 
[C16: from Old French, from Italian calibro, from Arabic qālib shoemaker's last, mould]
 
'calibred or caliber
 
—adj
 
'calibered or caliber
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

caliber
1560s, "degree of merit or importance," from M.Fr. calibre (14c.), perhaps ultimately from Arabic qalib "a mold, last," perhaps from Gk. kalopodion "a shoemaker's last," lit. "little wooden foot," from kalon "wood" + podos gen. of pous "foot" (see foot). Arabic also used the
word in the sense "mold for casting bullets," which is the original literal meaning in English, though the earliest cited sense is a figurative one. Meaning "inside diameter of a gun barrel" is attested from 1580s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

caliber cal·i·ber (kāl'ə-bər)
n.
The diameter of the inside of a round cylinder, such as a tube.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

caliber

in firearms, unit of measure indicating the interior, or bore, diameter of a gun barrel and the diameter of the gun's ammunition; or the length of a gun expressed in relation to its interior diameter (now used only of naval and coastal defense guns). See bore

Learn more about caliber with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The caliber of people does not depend on their income but their actions and
  virtues.
Eleven others were wounded with shots from weapons state police identified as a
  Ruger .44-caliber rifle and a 30.06 hunting rifle.
They are done at a caliber far beyond what you'd expect from the middle school
  and high school sciences.
Unfortunately, the caliber of the essays varies widely.
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriHome Advisor
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
About PRIVACY POLICY Terms API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Suggest a Word Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT