caliber
[ kal-uh-ber ]
noun
the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube: a pipe of three-inch caliber.
Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.
degree of capacity or competence; ability: a mathematician of high caliber.
degree of merit or excellence; quality: the high moral caliber of the era.
Origin of caliber
11560–70; 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)
- Also especially British, cal·i·bre .
Other words for caliber
Other words from caliber
- cal·i·bered; especially British, cal·i·bred, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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