calibrate

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verb cal·i·brate \ˈka-lə-ˌbrāt\

Definition of calibrate

calibrated

;

calibrating

transitive verb
1 : to ascertain the caliber of (something) )
2 : to determine, rectify, or mark the graduations of (something, such as a thermometer tube)
3 : to standardize (something, such as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from a standard so as to ascertain the proper correction factors
4 : to adjust precisely for a particular function calibrate a thermometer
5 : to measure precisely carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine; especially : to measure against a standard

calibrator

play \-ˌbrā-tər\ noun

See calibrate defined for English-language learners

See calibrate defined for kids

Examples of calibrate in a Sentence

carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine

Recent Examples of calibrate from the Web

The instrument is carefully calibrated so that, in the absence of a gravitational wave, the interference of the laser results in nearly perfect cancellation – no light comes out of the interferometer.

— sean mcwilliams, Smithsonian, "Scientists Hear Two Even More Ancient Black Holes Collide", 1 June 2017
The signal in January failed to set off the usual automated alarm - the LIGO scientists had just restarted the detector, after a short winter break, and hadn't yet properly calibrated the trigger setting at the Washington site.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "When black holes collide: Scientists spot rare gravity waves that mess with space and time", 1 June 2017
Following the implementation of GST in April 2015, there were reports cash registers weren’t calibrated to deal with the new regime, government agencies weren’t ready and GST refunds were delayed.

— bibhudatta pradhan, Bloomberg.com, "India's Tax Revamp Is Likely to Create Some Havoc", 31 May 2017
The answer is by calibrating your force transducer on the world's biggest weight, located at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S Government Has a Million-Pound Weight", 25 May 2017
If only the gearbox were calibrated as flawlessly as BMW’s 7 Series.

— tom voelk, New York Times, "Video Review: Cadillac CT6 Adds ‘Sporty’ to the Luxury Lexicon", 25 May 2017
Companies will use the standards to make sure their products are consistent, configuring their own testing gear so it's calibrated to NIST's.

— brian alexander, WIRED, "Atomic Rulers of the World", 1 June 2001

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

1850

First Known Use of calibrate

1850

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

CALIBRATE Defined for English Language Learners

calibrate

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verb

Definition of calibrate for English Language Learners

: to adjust or mark (something, such as a measuring device) so that it can be used in an accurate and exact way
: to measure (something) in an exact and precise way

Medical Dictionary

calibrate

play

transitive verb cal·i·brate \ˈkal-ə-ˌbrāt\

Medical Definition of calibrate

calibrated

;

calibrating

1: to ascertain the caliber of (as a thermometer tube)
2: to determine, rectify, or mark the graduations of (as a thermometer tube)
3: to standardize (as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from a standard so as to ascertain the proper correction factors