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Table of Contents POS
HYPHEN
WORDNET DICTIONARY
CIDE DICTIONARY
OXFORD DICTIONARY

calibre

POS

Noun

HYPHEN

cal=i=bre

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WORDNET DICTIONARY

Noun calibre has 2 senses

calibre(n = noun.attribute) caliber, quality - a degree or grade of excellence or worth; "the quality of students has risen"; "an executive of low caliber"

has particulars: high quality, superiority, inferiority, low quality

is a kind of degree, grade, level

calibre(n = noun.attribute) bore, caliber, gauge - diameter of a tube or gun barrel; Array

is a kind of diam, diameter

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CIDE DICTIONARY

calibre, n. [F. calibre, perh. fr. L. qualibra of what pound, of what weight; hence, of what size, applied first to a ball or bullet; cf. also Ar. qālib model, mold. Cf. Calipers, Calivere.].

The diameter of the bore, as a cannon or other firearm, or of any tube; or the weight or size of the projectile which a firearm will carry; as, an 8 inch gun, a 12-pounder, a 44 caliber. [1913 Webster]
" The caliber of firearms is expressed in various ways. Cannon are often designated by the weight of a solid spherical shot that will fit the bore; as, a 12-pounder; pieces of ordnance that project shell or hollow shot are designated by the diameter of their bore; as, a 12 inch mortar or a 14 inch shell gun; small arms are designated by hundredths of an inch expressed decimally; as, a rifle of .44 inch caliber." [1913 Webster]

"The caliber of empty tubes." [1913 Webster]

"A battery composed of three guns of small caliber." [1913 Webster]
The diameter of round or cylindrical body, as of a bullet or column. [1913 Webster]
Fig.: Capacity or compass of mind. Burke. [1913 Webster]

Caliber compasses. See Calipers. -- Caliber rule, a gunner's calipers, an instrument having two scales arranged to determine a ball's weight from its diameter, and conversely. -- A ship's caliber, the weight of her armament.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

calibre, n. (US caliber)
1 a the internal diameter of a gun or tube. b the diameter of a bullet or shell.
2 strength or quality of character; ability, importance (we need someone of your calibre).

Derivative

calibred adj. (also in comb.).

Etymology

F calibre or It. calibro, f. Arab. kalib mould

For further exploring for "calibre" in Webster Dictionary Online