calibrate

verb

cal·i·brate | \ ˈka-lə-ˌbrāt

calibrated; calibrating

Definition of calibrate

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

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Examples of calibrate in a Sentence

carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine

Recent Examples on the Web

Nor was the dust storm, with the dust either shed from the cameras or calibrated out. — Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, "NASA's $400M Mars Opportunity may not be lost after all," 31 Aug. 2018 Breastfeeding, which helps to calibrate a baby’s immune system, can help. — The Economist, "Germ-free children may be more prone to leukaemia," 24 May 2018 GmbH took a strong, but evenly calibrated, position on senses of otherness; of immigrants, perhaps feeling unwelcome even in countries that hold in their heritage a message of open arms for all. — Vogue, "From Kim Jones’s Vuitton Goodbye to Hedi Slimane’s Céline Surprise, All the Highlights from the Paris Men’s Shows," 22 Jan. 2018 The smart unit will then calibrate itself for optimum sound. 800-526-5308, jvc.com. — Nicole Sforza, ELLE Decor, "Just Add Popcorn," 5 July 2012 Western nations have remained careful in calibrating their responses, to neither disgruntle the wealthy and investment-eager Saudi leadership nor domestic human rights supporters too much. — Rick Noack, The Seattle Times, "85,000 children have starved to death during the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, charity reports," 21 Nov. 2018 D’Onofrio calibrates every detail of his performance, down to the most seemingly forgettable stuff, and somehow makes those things unforgettable. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Daredevil season 3 is a return to what made the show so good in season 1," 15 Oct. 2018 To put things in context, an average of 102 people were killed in the US every day by car crashes in 2016, so calibrate your sense of panic accordingly. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Trash your romaine lettuce and don’t eat any in restaurants, says the CDC," 21 Nov. 2018 But there’s a large obstacle in your way: temperature variations in an oven that’s not probably calibrated. — Francine Maroukian, Popular Mechanics, "The Only Meat Thermometer Any Serious Person Needs," 29 Oct. 2018

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.