calorie
noun
cal·o·rie
| \ ˈka-lə-rē
, ˈkal-rē\
, ˈkal-rē\
variants:
or less commonly calory
plural calories
Definition of calorie
1a
: 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
2a
: 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
Examples of calorie in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With the nation becoming more health-conscious, many are reaching for the flavorful, easy-to-drink products, which are generally low in calories and sugar. — Jaclyn Reiss, BostonGlobe.com, "Four Loko is apparently releasing a hard seltzer — with 14 percent alcohol," 14 Aug. 2019 Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is also great protein source, low in calories and saturated fat. — Jenna Birch, Anchorage Daily News, "From fish to bacon: A ranking of animal protein in order of healthfulness," 10 July 2019 Low in calories, at less than 40 per cup, Brussels sprouts are also low-carb, packing just 8 grams per cup raw, including 3 grams as fiber. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "7 Health Benefits of Brussels Sprouts," 9 July 2019 Spiked water is lower in calories, which can be appealing for healthy drinkers. — Elizabeth Lawrence, USA TODAY, "Vaping, juice cleanses, fitness trackers: Some 'healthy' trends are riskier than you think," 4 July 2019 The difference in calories and saturated fat per 3.5 ounce serving of skinless chicken is pretty small. — Ann Maloney, nola.com, "The thighs have it! Chicken pieces keep juicy flavor," 25 June 2019 But spending too long scrolling on the couch (or in bed) can result in calories that aren’t burned off and brains that haven’t received endorphin boosts from movement. — Shelby Deering, Good Housekeeping, "5 Surprising Ways Your Phone Can Get You Off the Couch," 15 May 2019 To justify its existence, the intellectual horsepower produced by the bigger brain had better be worth its weight in calories. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "The evolutionary mystery of gigantic human brains," 23 Aug. 2018 As Live Science’s Pappas writes, the animals are known to alter their metabolism after eating, increasing the size of internal organs including the intestines, heart and pancreas in order to manage the influx of calories. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "See a Python Swallow a Crocodile Whole," 12 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calorie.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for calorie
calorie
noun
English Language Learners Definition of calorie
: a unit of heat used to indicate the amount of energy that foods will produce in the human body
See the full definition for calorie in the English Language Learners Dictionary
calorie
noun
cal·o·rie
| \ ˈka-lə-rē
, ˈkal-rē\
, ˈkal-rē\
Kids Definition of calorie
1
: a unit for measuring heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius
2
: a unit of heat used to indicate the amount of energy foods produce in the human body that is equal to 1000 calories
calorie
noun
cal·o·rie
variants:
also calory \ ˈkal-(ə-)rē
\
\
plural calories
Medical Definition of calorie
1a
: 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 that is equal to 1000 gram calories or 3.968 Btu
—abbreviation Cal
— called also kilocalorie, kilogram calorie, large calorie
2a
: 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
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