caliper

noun cal·i·per \ ˈka-lə-pər \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of caliper

1 a : any of various measuring instruments having two usually adjustable arms, legs, or jaws used especially to measure diameter or thickness —usually used in plural

a pair of calipers

b : a device for pressing a frictional material (such as a brake pad) against the sides of a rotating wheel or disc

2 : thickness especially of paper, cardboard, or a tree

See caliper defined for English-language learners

See caliper defined for kids

Recent Examples of caliper from the Web

If your brake calipers stick, do a core exchange at a local auto parts store for a rebuilt set.

— matt jancer, Popular Mechanics, "How To Resurrect a Sleeping Car," 7 Feb. 2018
Donovan said that in most cases, 2-inch caliper trees are being planted.

— forrest sellers, Cincinnati.com, "Indian Hill residents can help restore trees lost to emerald ash borer," 29 Mar. 2018
The system works by tweaking individual brake calipers on-the-fly, mimicking the wheel speed-matching benefits of locking diffs to maximize traction.

— wes siler, Outside Online, "The Best New Adventuremobiles of 2018," 19 Mar. 2018
High-performance six-piston calipers are up front while four-piston squeezers bring up the rear.

— jeff yip, Houston Chronicle, "Demon Jr.: Challenger Hellcat Widebody's bigger tires pay big track dividends," 16 Mar. 2018
The Brembo calipers and ceramic brakes slowed and stopped the GT with precision.

— charles fleming, latimes.com, "Ford GT: American supercar splendor for only $450,000," 16 Mar. 2018
The biggest external differences are 19-inch Continental ProContact tires, bigger brakes with red Brembo front calipers and new front and rear fascias.

— mark phelan, Detroit Free Press, "First drive: 2018 Buick Regal GS delivers performance, value," 26 Feb. 2018
The brakes are all business with 15.7-inch ventilated front rotors and six-piston aluminum calipers; 14.1-inch ventilated discs and four-piston clampers bring up the rear.

— jeff yip, Houston Chronicle, "Stunning LEXUS LC 500H Grand Tourer pushes the envelope," 23 Feb. 2018
Every aspect of the new version will follow authentic, original specifications, including the sleek hood, wide-angle cylinder heads, quick-change brake calipers, and unmistakable tail fin.

— hannah elliott, Bloomberg.com, "Jaguar Will Make 25 New D-Type Roadsters for Die-Hard Devotees," 7 Feb. 2018

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

Illustration of caliper

Origin and Etymology of caliper

alteration of caliber

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1581

See Words from the same year

caliper

verb

Definition of caliper

calipered; calipering \-p(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb

: to measure by or as if by calipers

Recent Examples of caliper from the Web

Standard Tornado Red calipers signal to the 99.999999 percent that this is indeed the V-8 trim.

— tony markovich, Car and Driver, "SUV-8: Bentley Bentayga Gets a 542-HP Twin-Turbo Eight-Cylinder," 12 Jan. 2018

First Known Use of caliper

1793

CALIPER Defined for Kids

caliper

noun cal·i·per \ ˈka-lə-pər \

Definition of caliper for Students

: an instrument with two adjustable legs used to measure the thickness of objects or the distance between surfaces —usually used in pl.

a pair of calipers

Medical Dictionary

caliper

noun cal·i·per

variants: or chiefly British calliper play \ˈkal-ə-pər\

medical Definition of caliper

1 : any of various measuring instruments having two usually adjustable arms, legs, or jaws used to measure thickness, diameter, and distance between surfaces —usually used in plural