calibre
Britishnoun
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the diameter of a cylindrical body, esp the internal diameter of a tube or the bore of a firearm
-
the diameter of a shell or bullet
-
ability; distinction
a musician of high calibre
-
personal character
a man of high calibre
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said the pair decided to write a song after attending a poetry reading together, praising the musician for being of the "highest calibre".
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
"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
"You don't normally get an exchange student player who is such a high calibre athlete," he recalled.
From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025
O'Neill doesn't have the same calibre of player to call upon as he did in his first spell.
From BBC • Nov. 2, 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
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.
