n.
Variant: or cal · i · bre
Pronunciation: ' ka-l ə -b ə r, Brit also k ə - ' l ē -
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French calibre, from Old Italian calibro, from Arabic q ā lib shoemaker's last
Date: 1567
1 a : degree of mental capacity or moral quality b : degree of excellence or importance
2 a : the diameter of a bullet or other projectile b : the diameter of a bore of a gun usually expressed in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and typically written as a decimal fraction <.32 caliber >
3 : the diameter of a round or cylindrical body especially : the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder