: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The wheels are black, along with the brake calipers.—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 4 June 2025 Gigantic carbon ceramic brakes with multi-piston calipers assisted in precisely balancing load on each corner by way of a firm yet easy-to-modulate pedal.—Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
Standard Tornado Red calipers signal to the 99.999999 percent that this is indeed the V-8 trim.—Tony Markovich, Car and Driver, 12 Jan. 2018 See All Example Sentences for caliper
: a measuring instrument with two legs or jaws that can be adjusted to determine thickness, diameter, or distance between surfaces—usually used in plural
: 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
Share