calorie

noun

cal·​o·​rie ˈka-lə-rē How to pronounce calorie (audio)
ˈkal-rē
variants or less commonly calory
plural calories
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

Examples of calorie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Consuming adequate calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat on a daily basis helps effectively fuel both your brain and muscles inside and outside of the gym. Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Health, 5 Mar. 2024 Get out and take a refreshing walk to work off those holiday calories. Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The limited-edition Double Big Mac clocks in at 780 calories and 48 grams of fat. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 An Oreo Shamrock McFlurry has 560 calories, compared to a regular Oreo McFlurry with 510 calories. Mike Snider, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 Globally, more than three-quarters of soybean production goes to feeding livestock, and since animals are relatively inefficient at turning calories into meat, only a slim share of those calories from soy ever make it into human diets. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024 And here gluttony is justified, with depleted riders needing to fuel up on all that sensational food after burning thousands of calories on the road and in preparation for the following day’s outing. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024 Adding two patties and more sauce adds more fat and calories to the Big Mac. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 Yes, this was Padres-Dodgers Light with some of the taste and none of the regular-season calories. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'calorie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of calorie was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near calorie

Cite this Entry

“Calorie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calorie. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

calorie

noun
cal·​o·​rie
variants also calory
plural calories
1
: a unit of heat:
a
: the heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius and equal to about 4.19 joules

called also small calorie

b
: the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius and equal to 1000 small calories
used especially to indicate the value of foods in the production of heat and energy

called also large calorie, kilocalorie

2
: an amount of food having an energy-producing value of one large calorie
Etymology

from French calorie "a unit of heat," from Latin calor "heat," from calēre "to be hot" — related to cauldron, nonchalant

Medical Definition

calorie

noun
cal·​o·​rie
variants also calory
plural calories
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

More from Merriam-Webster on calorie

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