Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

caliber

/ˈkæl.ə.bɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.65 in modern English

Syllables
cal-i-ber
IPA
/ˈkæl.ə.bɚ/
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Diameter of the bore of a firearm, typically measured between opposite lands.

American usage; Countable; Uncountable

noun

The diameter of round or cylindrical body, as of a bullet, a projectile, or a column.

American usage; Countable; Uncountable

noun

A nominal name for a cartridge type, which may not exactly indicate its true size and may include other measurements such as cartridge length or black powder capacity. Eg 7.62×39 or 38.40.

American usage; Countable; Uncountable

noun

Unit of measure used to express the length of the bore of a weapon. The number of calibres is determined by dividing the length of the bore of the weapon, from the breech face of the tube to the muzzle, by the diameter of its bore. A gun tube the bore of which is 40 feet (480 inches) long and 12 inches in diameter is said to be 40 calibers long.

American usage; Countable; Uncountable

noun

Relative size, importance, magnitude.

American usage; Countable; Uncountable

noun

Capacity or compass of mind.

American usage; Countable; Uncountable

noun

Degree of importance or station in society.

American usage; Countable; Dated; Uncountable

noun

Movement of a timepiece.

American usage; Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From French calibre (“bore of a gun, size, capacity (literally, and figuratively), also weight”), from Italian calibro.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈkæl.ə.bɚ/
  • British English: /ˈkæl.ɪ.bə(ɹ)/

Usage

Inflected Forms

calibers (plural) calibre (alternative)

Derived Forms

calibered monocaliber multicaliber polycaliber subcaliber

Frequently Paired Words

calibrate calibration calipers

Synonyms

quality calibre bore gauge

Homonyms

calibre

Rhymes With

excalibur

Questions

How do you pronounce caliber?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkæl.ə.bɚ/.
What does caliber mean?
Diameter of the bore of a firearm, typically measured between opposite lands.
Where does caliber come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce caliber

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “caliber”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkæl.ə.bɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “caliber”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “caliber” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.