calorie

cal·o·rie

noun \ˈka-lə-rē, ˈkal-rē\

plural cal·o·ries

Definition of CALORIE

1

a : the amount of heat required at a pressure of one atmosphere to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius that is equal to about 4.19 joules —abbreviation cal —called also gram calorie, small calorie

b : the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius : 1000 gram calories or 3.968 Btu —abbreviation Cal —called also large calorie

2

a : a unit equivalent to the large calorie expressing heat-producing or energy-producing value in food when oxidized in the body

b : an amount of food having an energy-producing value of one large calorie

Variants of CALORIE

cal·o·rie also cal·o·ry \ˈka-lə-rē, ˈkal-rē\

Origin of CALORIE

French calorie, from Latin calor heat, from calēre to be warm — more at lee

First Known Use: 1866

Other Weights and Measures Terms

avoirdupois weight, denier, kip, pace, twain

Rhymes with CALORIE

gallery, Malory, Valéry

cal·o·rie

noun    (Medical Dictionary)

plural ; cal·o·ries

Medical Definition of CALORIE

1

a : the amount of heat required at a pressure of one atmosphere to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius that is equal to about 4.19 joules—abbreviation cal; called also gram calorie, small calorie b : the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius that is equal to 1000 gram calories or 3.968 Btu—abbreviation Cal; called also kilocalorie, kilogram calorie, large calorie

2

a : a unit equivalent to the large calorie expressing heat-producing or energy-producing value in food when oxidized in the body b : an amount of food having an energy-producing value of one large calorie

Variants of CALORIE

cal·o·rie also cal·o·ry \ˈkal-(ə-)rē\ (audio pronunciation)

calorie

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Unit of energy or heat. Various precise definitions are used for different purposes (physical chemistry measurements, engineering steam tables, and thermochemistry), but in all cases the calorie is about 4.2 joules, the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 °C (1.8 °F) at normal atmospheric pressure. The calorie used by dietitians and food scientists and found on food labels is actually the kilocalorie (also called Calorie and abbreviated kcal or Cal), or 1,000 calories. It is a measure of the amount of heat energy or metabolic energy contained in the chemical bonds (see bonding) of a food.