calorie

[kal-uh-ree] /ˈkæl ə ri/
noun
1.
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.
2.
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.
Also, calory.
Origin
1800-10; < French, equivalent to calor- (< Latin calor heat) + -ie -y3
British Dictionary definitions for calorie

calorie

/ˈkælərɪ/
noun (pl) -ries
1.
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 It has now largely been replaced by the joule for scientific purposes cal Also called gram calorie, small calorie Compare Calorie
Word Origin
C19: from French, from Latin calor heat

Calorie

/ˈkælərɪ/
noun
1.
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 Cal
2.
the amount of a specific food capable of producing one thousand calories of energy
Word Origin and History for calorie
n.

1866, from French calorie, from Latin calor (genitive caloris) "heat," from PIE *kle-os-, suffixed form of root *kele- (1) "warm" (cf. Latin calidus "warm," calere "be hot;" Sanskrit carad- "harvest," literally "hot time;" Lithuanian silti "become warm," silus "August;" Old Norse hlær, Old English hleow "warm").

In scientific use, largely replaced 1950 by the joule. As a unit of energy, defined as "heat required to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius" (the small or gram calorie), but also as "heat required to raise 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius" (the large calorie or kilocalorie).

calorie in Medicine

calorie cal·o·rie (kāl'ə-rē)
n.

  1. 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. Also called nutritionist's calorie.

  2. 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. Also called kilocalorie, kilogram calorie, large calorie.

  3. 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. Also called gram calorie, small calorie.

  4. The unit of heat equal to 1/100 the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water from 0 to 100°C at 1 atmosphere pressure. Also called mean calorie.

calorie in Science
calorie
  (kāl'ə-rē)   

  1. 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.

  2. 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.


calorie in Culture

Calorie definition


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.