caliber

[ kal-uh-ber ]
See synonyms for caliber on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. degree of capacity or competence; ability: a mathematician of high caliber.

  2. degree of merit or excellence; quality: the high moral caliber of the era.

Origin of caliber

1
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)
  • 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