n.
Variant: also cal · o · ry
Pronunciation: ' ka-l ə -r ē , ' kal-r ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ries
Etymology: French calorie, from Latin calor heat, from cal ē re to be warm ― more at LEE
Date: 1866
1 a : the amount of heat required at a pressure of one atmosphere to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius that is equal to about 4.19 joules ― abbreviation cal ― called also gram calorie small calorie b : the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius : 1000 gram calories or 3.968 Btu ― abbreviation Cal ― called also large calorie
2 a : a unit equivalent to the large calorie expressing heat-producing or energy-producing value in food when oxidized in the body b : an amount of food having an energy-producing value of one large calorie