calorie

noun

cal·o·rie | \ ˈka-lə-rē

, ˈkal-rē\

variants: or less commonly calory

plural calories

Definition of calorie

1a : the amount of heat required at a pressure of one atmosphere to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius that is equal to about 4.19 joules —abbreviation cal

— called also gram calorie, small calorie

b : the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius : 1000 gram calories or 3.968 Btu —abbreviation Cal

— called also large calorie

2a : a unit equivalent to the large calorie expressing heat-producing or energy-producing value in food when oxidized in the body

b : an amount of food having an energy-producing value of one large calorie

Examples of calorie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And because burning calories deserves a reward, swing by La Foresta, a lovely hotel restaurant that serves fresh local lake dishes, and is located right along the path. — Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, "Your Guide to a Perfect Vacation in Franciacorta—Italy's Secret Lake-Side Wine Region," 13 June 2019 Currently, the existing research on microplastics in food represents only 15 percent of the calories consumed by the average person. — National Geographic, "You eat thousands of bits of plastic every year," 5 June 2019 Per serving: 265 calories (21% from fat), 6.2 g fat (1.1 g saturated, 2.4 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 6.8 g protein, 45.9 g carbohydrates, 4.8 g fiber, 11 mg sodium. — Linda Gassenheimer, Twin Cities, "Sesame Seared Chicken is flavorful and quick to make," 3 June 2019 Only one in five of the baby foods in the study had acceptable levels as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO)—that is, less than 20% of total calories was derived from sugar. — Karen Hofman, Quartz Africa, "Scientists are worried about the sugar levels of baby food in South Africa," 31 May 2019 After a day burning calories on the slopes, there’s no better treat. — Todd Plummer, Harper's BAZAAR, "6 Envy-Inducing Ways to Experience the Best of Verbier," 1 Nov. 2018 Too many calories, great service, and a relaxed atmosphere: the perfect end to a try-hard day. — The Editors, Outside Online, "Our Favorite Post-Sufferfest Food," 4 May 2018 These workouts also burn calories and improve fitness. — Markham Heid, Time, "The Scientific Reason Boot Camp Workouts Are So Good For You," 2 Apr. 2018 Participants strap on real boxing gloves and learn pro moves that help them get lean, tone like a fighter, and burn mega calories. — Tara Massouleh, AL.com, "Spend a day exploring Vestavia's restaurants and shops," 22 Feb. 2018

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

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Last Updated

19 Jun 2019

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The first known use of calorie was in 1866

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More Definitions for calorie

calorie

noun

English Language Learners Definition of calorie

: a unit of heat used to indicate the amount of energy that foods will produce in the human body

See the full definition for calorie in the English Language Learners Dictionary

calorie

noun

cal·o·rie | \ ˈka-lə-rē

, ˈkal-rē\

Kids Definition of calorie

1 : a unit for measuring heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius

2 : a unit of heat used to indicate the amount of energy foods produce in the human body that is equal to 1000 calories

calorie

noun

cal·o·rie

variants: also calory \ ˈkal-(ə-)rē

plural calories

Medical Definition of calorie

1a : the amount of heat required at a pressure of one atmosphere to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius that is equal to about 4.19 joules —abbreviation cal

— called also gram calorie, small calorie

b : the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius that is equal to 1000 gram calories or 3.968 Btu —abbreviation Cal

— called also kilocalorie, kilogram calorie, large calorie