caliber

American  

[kal-uh-ber] / ˈkæl ə bər /

especially British, calibre

noun

1. the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube.

   a pipe of three-inch caliber.

2. Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.

3. degree of capacity or competence; ability.

   a mathematician of high caliber.

4. degree of merit or excellence; quality.

   the high moral caliber of the era.

   Synonyms:

   distinction, worth

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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

A stylist of Kwatra’s caliber could earn several hundred thousand dollars a year before taxes, according to people who work in the industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

But it doesn’t fly without an actor of Seyfried’s caliber, who can summon unpredictable mayhem from her fingertips.

From Los Angeles Times

But, he acknowledged, “the opportunity to add somebody of this caliber to what’s already a really talented bullpen was something that we weren’t sure was going to be able to actually come to fruition.”

From Los Angeles Times

Are the big AI companies giving up their status as the highest caliber stocks in the market?

From The Wall Street Journal

“I don’t know at this time what caliber it was,” Morton said, “and I don’t know if that handgun is related to our crime scene until further investigation is completed.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ability
• competence
• quality
• stature
• talent