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more about caliber
caliber |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Caliber \Cal"i*ber\, Calibre \Cal"ibre\, 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 q[=a]lib model, mold. Cf {Calipers}, {Calivere}.] 1. (Gunnery) 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. The caliber of empty tubes. --Reid. A battery composed of three guns of small caliber. --Prescott. Note: 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. 2. The diameter of round or cylindrical body, as of a bullet or column. 3. Fig.: Capacity or compass of mind. --Burke. {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. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: caliber n 1: a degree or grade of excellence or worth: "the quality of students has risen"; "an executive of low caliber" [syn: {quality}, {calibre}] 2: diameter of a tube or gun barrel [syn: {bore}, {calibre}]
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