caliber

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the level of quality, ability, or importance of a person or thing

   The orchestra attracts musicians of the highest caliber.

2. 2
   noun

   the internal diameter of a gun barrel or the corresponding diameter of its ammunition

   The markings identify the caliber of ammunition the rifle accepts.

3. 3
   noun

   the diameter of a cylindrical or roughly round object

   Engineers measured the caliber of each metal tube before installation.

Simplified etymology

Calibre entered English through French in the mid-16th century. Its earlier history is uncertain: it may ultimately derive from Greek kalapous, “shoemaker’s last,” which became Arabic qālib, “mould for casting metal,” before passing through Italian or Spanish into French. In English it first meant “social standing or importance.” The proposed development of meaning runs from a mould, to metal, to something for casting bullets; because a gun’s calibre determines its effectiveness, the word was then applied to personal quality or ability. It also denotes the internal diameter or bore of a gun barrel.

From French calibre, from Italian calibro. The Italian word is generally traced to Arabic qalib ("mold, model, shoemaker's last"). A term for physical dimensions, especially a gun's bore, later developed the figurative sense of a person's or thing's quality.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary