Caliber
/ˈkæl.ɪ.bər/noun
The internal diameter or bore of a gun barrel or a measurement of quality or ability.
Did you know?The term 'caliber' originally referred to the quality of a person's character, linking it to ideas of worth and measure long before gun barrels took the spotlight.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
caliber
“a measuring stick or standard of measurement.”
Middle French
French
calibre
“the dimensions or quality of a gun barrel.”
16th Century
English
caliber
“a measure of the diameter of a tube or barrel.”
19th Century
English
caliber
“a term used metaphorically for a person's quality or character.”