calorific

American  

[kal-uh-rif-ik] / ˌkæl əˈrɪf ɪk /

adjective

1. pertaining to conversion into heat.

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calorific British  

/ ˌkæləˈrɪfɪk /

adjective

1. of, concerning, or generating heat

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Other Word Forms

• calorifically adverb
• uncalorific adjective

Etymology

Origin of calorific

1675–85; < Late Latin calōrificus causing warmth, warming, equivalent to calōri- (stem of calor heat) + -ficus -fic

Explanation

Calorific is a good word for describing something that generates heat. A motorcycle race can be calorific in at least two ways: The engines get burning hot, and watching the race can make you burn with excitement. In today's diet-obsessed world, you'd be forgiven for thinking that calorific means "filled with calories." In fact, when you do something calorific you don't load up on calories; you get rid of them. Say you drink a bottle of soda and then jump on the treadmill. All those calories you just poured down your throat? You're burning them up, turning them into heat. Running is a calorific activity. And a sweaty one.

Example Sentences

Around 14,000 of the prisoners died after liberation, their digestive systems unable to cope with the high calorific, rich, sustenance offered by well-meaning cooks and medics.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2025

The fat around the tummy caused by these calorific foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle is also linked to high blood pressure, in addition to inflammation of the blood vessels and diabetes.

From Salon • Jan. 22, 2025

“From my point of view, however, meat was and is not necessarily nutritionally relevant. Proteins alone do not have a particularly high calorific value,” Kindler adds.

From Scientific American • Oct. 25, 2023

Last season, the Capitals debuted a calorific monster of a chicken sandwich with cinnamon rolls for buns during its home games in the NHL playoffs.

From Washington Times • Oct. 12, 2022

Just what the calorific value of the gas may be it is necessary to know in order to obtain some idea of the thermal efficiency of the installation.

From Gas-Engines and Producer-Gas Plants A Practice Treatise Setting Forth the Principles of Gas-Engines and Producer Design, the Selection and Installation of an Engine, Conditions of Perfect Operation, Producer-Gas Engines and Their Possibilities, the Care of Gas-Engines and Producer-Gas Plants, with a Chapter on Volatile Hydrocarbon and Oil Engines by Mathot, R. E.