calorie

or cal·o·ry

[ kal-uh-ree ]
/ ˈkæl ə ri /

noun

Thermodynamics.
  1. Also called gram calorie, small calorie. an amount of heat exactly equal to 4.1840 joules. Abbreviation: cal
  2. (usually initial capital letter) kilocalorie. Abbreviation: Cal
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.

Origin of calorie

1800–10; < French, equivalent to calor- (< Latin calor heat) + -ie -y3

Words nearby calorie

calori's bursa, calori-, caloric, caloric nystagmus, caloric test, calorie, calorifacient, calorific, calorific value, calorigenic, calorimeter

Example sentences from the Web for calorie

British Dictionary definitions for calorie (1 of 2)

calorie

calory

/ (ˈkælərɪ) /

noun plural -ries

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 It has now largely been replaced by the joule for scientific purposes Abbreviation: cal Also called: gram calorie, small calorie Compare Calorie

Word Origin for calorie

C19: from French, from Latin calor heat

British Dictionary definitions for calorie (2 of 2)

Calorie
/ (ˈkælərɪ) /

noun

Also called: kilogram calorie, kilocalorie, large 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 Abbreviation: Cal
the amount of a specific food capable of producing one thousand calories of energy

Medical definitions for calorie

calorie
[ kăl′ə-rē ]

n.

A unit of energy-producing potential supplied by food and released upon oxidation by the body, equal to the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C at one atmosphere pressure. nutritionist's calorie
The unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C at 1 atmosphere pressure. kilocalorie kilogram calorie large calorie
Any of several approximately equal units of heat, each measured as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C from a standard initial temperature at 1 atmosphere pressure. gram calorie small calorie
The unit of heat equal to 1100 the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water from 0 to 100°C at 1 atmosphere pressure. mean calorie

Scientific definitions for calorie

calorie
[ kăl′ə-rē ]

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. Also called small calorie
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. Also called kilocalorie large calorie

Cultural definitions for calorie

Calorie

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.