calibre

British  

/ ˈkælɪbə /

noun

1. the diameter of a cylindrical body, esp the internal diameter of a tube or the bore of a firearm

2. the diameter of a shell or bullet

3. ability; distinction

   a musician of high calibre

4. personal character

   a man of high calibre

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Other Word Forms

• calibred adjective

Etymology

Origin of calibre

C16: from Old French, from Italian calibro, from Arabic qālib shoemaker's last, mould

Example Sentences

And after analysing exclusive images obtained by BBC News Persian of spent casings recovered from the streets, Kotlarski confirmed they were 7.62x39mm rounds - the specific calibre for Kalashnikov-type rifles.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

"The calibre of the opposition, the first time Arsenal have beaten a real rival this season, the manner of the victory and second-half performance. They completely demolished Aston Villa."

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

"It will be hard to find a man of his calibre," Nasreddine al-Maghribi told AFP at a cafe in Libyan capital Tripoli.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

At the same time, there are a lot of very high calibre teams in F1 now, so it should not take too long for the grid to close up again.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2025

We then switched to the black tennis situation in South Africa and, in particular, the conspicuous lack of champions of Arthur Ashe’s calibre.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane