caliber
Americannoun
-
the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube.
a pipe of three-inch caliber.
-
Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.
-
degree of capacity or competence; ability.
a mathematician of high caliber.
-
degree of merit or excellence; quality.
the high moral caliber of the era.
- Synonyms:
- distinction, worth
Other Word Forms
- calibered adjective
Etymology
Origin of caliber
1560–70; variant of calibre < Middle French ≪ Arabic qālib mold, last < Greek kālápous shoe last, equivalent to kāla- combining form of kâlon wood + poús foot ( -pod )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was highly unusual for a puffin of his caliber to share his residence with a stranger.
From Literature
Rebuilds of this caliber often run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and Vera paid for everything out of pocket, though she wouldn’t say how much it actually ended up costing.
From Los Angeles Times
To see an artist of this caliber in such a vulnerable position of trying something new coincided with portraying a character at a turning point in his life.
From Los Angeles Times
European nations have supplied Ukraine with 11 different types of howitzer firing one caliber, the 155mm shell.
Whether or not the AI industry meets its targets for growth, businesses both established and emerging will continue to seek optical fiber of the caliber coming from Corning and a handful of global competitors.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
