caliber

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noun cal·i·ber \ ˈka-lə-bər , British also kə-ˈlē- \

variants: or calibre

Definition of caliber

1 a :degree of mental capacity or moral quality

teachers of high caliber

b :degree of excellence or importance

the caliber of instruction

2 a :the diameter of a bullet or other projectile

b :the diameter of a bore of a gun usually expressed in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and typically written as a decimal fraction

.32 caliber

3 :the diameter of a round or cylindrical body; especially :the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder

See caliber defined for English-language learners

See caliber defined for kids

Examples of caliber in a Sentence

I was impressed by the high caliber of the team's work.
musicians of the highest caliber perform at that concert hall

Recent Examples of caliber from the Web

A Cook County judge on Thursday afternoon set bail at $500,000 for Andres Rodriguez, 38, of the 18200 block of Kirby Drive, who prosecutors said allegedly shot the man multiple times with a .380 caliber handgun.

— nick swedberg, Daily Southtown, "Tinley Park man charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting man 7 times following traffic incident," 20 July 2017
Most of the head coaches pursuing Langford have landed players of his caliber before.

— zach osterman, The Courier-Journal, "Why Archie Miller and IU must keep Romeo Langford in Indiana," 18 July 2017
The petition alleges that Nathan Carman purchased a Sig Sauer 716 Patrol semi-automatic rifle — the same caliber weapon used to kill Chakalos — from a New Hampshire gun store before the killing.

— dave altimari, courant.com, "Linda Carman's Sisters Ask Court To Declare Nathan Carman Their Father's Murderer," 17 July 2017
Once a bullet is recovered, police can determine the caliber and look for class characteristics, said Kevin Judge, deputy commander of the Lake County Sheriff's Department's Crime Scene Investigations Unit.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Finding where bullet that killed boy, 13, came from 'can be done,' experts say," 12 July 2017
Does Kentucky finally have a Stoops-caliber defense?

— jon hale, The Courier-Journal, "Three questions for Mark Stoops, Kentucky at SEC Media Days," 11 July 2017
While attempts to apprehend the two were unsuccessful at that time, a foot pursuit resulted in the recovery of a .25 caliber handgun, discarded by Copenhaver.

— staff report, The Aegis, "Two men sentenced in attempted murder in December 2015," 11 July 2017
On March 18, just around the block on Creston, narcotics officers arrested a 15-year-old with two loaded pistols — a .40 caliber and a 9 millimeter — and a 17-year-old with a loaded .45-caliber pistol.

— benjamin mueller, New York Times, "An Officer’s Death in ‘One Square Mile of Danger’," 9 July 2017
Labyrinth, while not necessarily considered Muppets-caliber by many Henson fans, is a cult favorite that rarely gets its professional due.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "A Quote-Along Version of Labyrinth Is Premiering at the Ace Hotel, and Now We Must Lie Down," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caliber.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of caliber

Medieval French calibre, from Old Italian calibro, from Arabic qālib shoemaker's last

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First Known Use: 1588

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caliber Synonyms

Synonyms

quality (or calibre), class, grade, rate

Related Words

hallmark; mark; footing, place, position, rank, standing, stature, status; benchmark, criterion, measure, par, standard, touchstone, yardstick

Other Weapons and Explosives Terms

automatic, carbine, cudgel, muzzle, rapier

CALIBER Defined for English Language Learners

caliber

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noun

Definition of caliber for English Language Learners

: level of excellence, skill, etc.
: a measurement of the width of a bullet or a gun barrel

CALIBER Defined for Kids

caliber

noun cal·i·ber

variants: or calibre \ˈka-lə-bər\

Definition of caliber for Students

1 :level of excellence, skill, or importance

She is a writer of the highest caliber.

2 :the diameter of a bullet or of the hole in the barrel of a gun

Medical Dictionary

caliber

noun cal·i·ber

variants: or chiefly British calibre \ˈkal-ə-bər, British also kə-ˈlē-\

medical Definition of caliber

:the diameter of a round or cylindrical body; especially :the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder

Learn More about caliber

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for caliber Spanish Central: Translation of caliber Nglish: Translation of caliber for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of caliber for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about caliber

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caliber

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Examples of caliber in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of caliber

caliber Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Weapons and Explosives Terms

CALIBER Defined for English Language Learners

caliber

Definition of caliber for English Language Learners

CALIBER Defined for Kids

caliber

Definition of caliber for Students

Medical Dictionary

caliber

medical Definition of caliber

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