calorie

American

[kal-uh-ree] / ˈkæl ə ri /

Sometimes calory

noun

plural

calories

Thermodynamics.
1. Also called gram calorie, small calorie. an amount of heat exactly equal to 4.1840 joules. cal
2. (usually initial capital letter) kilocalorie. Cal
Physiology.
1. a unit equal to the kilocalorie, used to express the heat output of an organism and the fuel or energy value of food.
2. a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy.

Calorie ¹ British

/ ˈkælərɪ /

noun

Cal. Also called: kilogram calorie. kilocalorie. large calorie. a unit of heat, equal to one thousand calories, often used to express the heat output of an organism or the energy value of food
the amount of a specific food capable of producing one thousand calories of energy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

calorie ² British

/ ˈkælərɪ /

noun

Also called: gram calorie. small calorie. cal. a unit of heat, equal to 4.1868 joules ( International Table calorie ): formerly defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C under standard conditions. It has now largely been replaced by the joule for scientific purposes Compare Calorie

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

calorie Scientific

/ kăl′ə-rē /

A unit of energy equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. One calorie is equivalent to 4.1868 joules.
Also called small calorie
Calorie A unit of heat equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1,000 grams of water by one degree Celsius. This unit is used as a measure of the energy released by food as it is digested by the human body.
Also called kilocalorie large calorie

Calorie Cultural

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. A calorie (with a lower-case c) is a measurement of the heat needed to raise the temperature of a gram of water, rather than a kilogram.

Etymology

Origin of calorie

First recorded in 1800–10; from French, equivalent to calor- (from Latin calor “heat”) + -ie noun suffix; -y ³

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.

None of the taste-testers ordered the Jalapeño Ranch—estimated at 1,185 calories, it was deemed too hefty for the office lunch hour.

From Barron's

Shivering in the cold is uncomfortable, but it does force the body to burn extra calories to stay warm.

From Science Daily

Participants followed a calorie restricted plan made up almost entirely of oatmeal for 48 hours.

From Science Daily

None of the taste-testers ordered the Jalapeño Ranch—estimated at 1,185 calories, it was deemed too high for the office lunch hour—though one taste-tester enjoyed the Jalapeño Ranch dressing as a dip.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023