calorie

noun

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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 McDonald’s has chosen to post calorie and nutrition information across its own restaurants and digital platforms as well as third-party delivery platforms. — Washington Post, "Food delivery apps are exempt from posting nutrition information. This loophole has added to our pandemic pounds, advocates say.," 1 Apr. 2021 From the Vikings to the Egyptians, women brewed beer both for religious ceremonies and to make a practical, calorie-rich beverage for the home. — Laken Brooks, Smithsonian Magazine, "Women Dominated Beer Brewing Until They Were Accused of Being Witches," 8 Mar. 2021 Chickadees will eat suet, though, a fine calorie-rich food for them in this cold weather. — Star Tribune, "Monocular lets you ID the bird you're looking at," 23 Feb. 2021 The insulin signals fat cells to store excessive amounts of glucose, fatty acids, and other calorie-rich substances. — Lisa Bain, Good Housekeeping, "How Sugar Affects the Brain, According to a Neuroscience Expert," 26 Oct. 2020 Low-calorie and light beers have grown in popularity since the '80s, when Bud Light arrived to battle Miller Lite. — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, "Beer after a workout? Brewers take a cue from Gatorade and add electrolytes into lower alcohol brews," 15 Mar. 2021 Low-calorie or sugar-free varieties may contain Xylitol, a sweetener that replaces real sugar but is toxic to dogs. — Jennifer Nelson, Southern Living, "Can Dogs Eat Ice Cream?," 12 Mar. 2021 These odds didn’t stop Cool Cat’s founder Rocco Venneri, a Black gay man, from pursuing his dreams of creating a low-calorie portable beverage in an industry that’s largely dominated by straight white men. — Yolanda Evans, Forbes, "The Canned Wine Spritzer Trend Just Got Another Cool Cat: An Interview Rocco Venneri," 25 Feb. 2021 So over the past 18 months, she's worked to transform it into a lower calorie, lower alcohol version. — Tirion Morris, The Arizona Republic, "Move over, White Claw. These Arizona-based companies have launched new hard seltzers," 11 Mar. 2021

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

14 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Calorie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calorie. Accessed 17 Apr. 2021.

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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