calorie

noun

cal·​o·​rie ˈka-lə-rē How to pronounce calorie (audio)
ˈkal-rē
variants or less commonly calory
plural calories
1
a
: 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

2
a
: 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
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But the most promising approach seems to be extreme calorie restriction, which could certainly make life seem longer. semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025 Complex carbs high in fiber are lower in calories and rich in the nutrients necessary for health. Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025 For instance, there’s the claims about calories and weight loss. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 Sep. 2025 Manufacturers artificially create sugar alcohols and use them as bulking sugars to cut the intense sweetness of other no-calorie sweeteners such as aspartame. Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for calorie

Word History

Etymology

French calorie, from Latin calor heat, from calēre to be warm — more at lee

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of calorie was in 1866

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Calorie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calorie. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

calorie

noun
cal·​o·​rie
variants also calory
plural calories
1
: a unit of heat:
a
: the heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius and equal to about 4.19 joules

called also small calorie

b
: the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius and equal to 1000 small calories
used especially to indicate the value of foods in the production of heat and energy

called also large calorie, kilocalorie

2
: an amount of food having an energy-producing value of one large calorie
Etymology

from French calorie "a unit of heat," from Latin calor "heat," from calēre "to be hot" — related to cauldron, nonchalant

Medical Definition

calorie

noun
cal·​o·​rie
variants also calory
plural calories
1
a
: 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

2
a
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on calorie

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