caliber
noun
British also kə-ˈlē-\
Definition of caliber
1a : degree of mental capacity or moral quality teachers of high caliber
b : degree of excellence or importance the caliber of instruction
2a : 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
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Examples of caliber in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In cannon and howitzer terminology, the caliber of the barrel is not the barrel diameter, but the length. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Army’s New Howitzer Barrel is Ridiculously Long," 17 Oct. 2018 Though tourism is growing, especially among the Chinese, English isn’t widely spoken, and the caliber of hotels and restaurants can be hit-or-miss. — Zandie Brockett, Condé Nast Traveler, "China's Southern Guizhou Region Is Like a Land Lost in Time," 24 Aug. 2018 Blackmon wrote, noting the .223 caliber of the rifle ammunition. — Alex Horton, Washington Post, "An alligator trapped a teenage girl in a tree. Then a deputy arrived with an AR-15.," 3 July 2018 That’s the caliber of people in charge of these children and carrying out Trump policy. — Fabiola Santiago, miamiherald, "Miami, are we going to let 1,000 children be kept in detention in the dark? Speak up!," 19 June 2018 But despite the caliber of the latest Tidal exclusive, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s new album is unlikely to turn around a business that hasn’t grown the way its high-profile owners hoped. — David Z. Morris, Fortune, "Even Beyoncé and Jay-Z's New Album Probably Can't Revive Tidal," 17 June 2018 Privacy - Terms Once officers arrived, the suspect, identified by Tallahassee police as Jason White, was found with the .40 caliber gun and other goods from Academy Sports. — Howard Cohen, miamiherald, "A man stole a gun from a store, cops say. But what a manager did next got him fired.," 12 July 2018 The round was a 5.56 caliber bullet — the same type of ammunition found near Inman’s body. — Michael Williams, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Code words, YouTube videos and shell casings lead Sanford police to homicide suspect," 7 July 2018 It can be configured with a robotic arm or a .50 caliber machine gun and can carry payloads of up to 1,650 pounds. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "This Tank-Killer Robot Could Revolutionize Ground Warfare," 14 June 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for caliber
caliber
noun
English Language Learners Definition of caliber
: level of excellence, skill, etc.
: a measurement of the width of a bullet or a gun barrel
See the full definition for caliber in the English Language Learners Dictionary
caliber
nounKids Definition of caliber
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
caliber
nounMedical Definition of caliber
: the diameter of a round or cylindrical body especially : the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder
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