calorie

[ kal-uh-ree ]

noun

, plural cal·o·ries.

1. 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
2. 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

/ ˈkælərɪ /

noun

1. Also calledkilogram caloriekilocalorielarge 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 Cal
2. the amount of a specific food capable of producing one thousand calories of energy

calorie

²

/ ˈkælərɪ /

noun

1. 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 It has now largely been replaced by the joule for scientific purposes cal Also calledgram caloriesmall calorie Compare Calorie

calorie

/ kăl′ə-rē /

1. 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.
2. Also called small calorie
3. 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.
4. Also called kilocalorie large calorie

Calorie

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of calorie¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of calorie¹

C19: from French, from Latin calor heat

Example Sentences

“This should not be surprising given that children from better-off groups in India have access to more calories and face a better disease environment,” the authors say.

From BBC

Her food has been entirely prepared by her team and Hare will eat between 3,500 and 4,500 calories a day.

From BBC

These crops include staples like rice, wheat, and corn that make up a good chunk of the world's calories.

From Salon

That was likely an advantage 100 or more years ago when food was less plentiful – driving people to consume calories when they are available, because tomorrow there may be none.

From BBC

He had previously told the UN that Israel was facilitating the entry of food amounting to "more than 3,000 calories a day for every man, woman, and child in Gaza".

From BBC