Calibrate
/ˈkæl.ɪ.breɪt/noun
To measure and adjust an instrument or system against a standard.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the same Arabic root as *qālib* (“mold, form”), a reminder that measurement began as the art of shaping matter into exact forms.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic
Arabic
qālib
“a mold, model, or form used to shape something”
Late Medieval Latin
Latin
calibrāre
“to make of equal weight or proportion; to adjust by a standard”
16th Century
French
calibrer
“to gauge, size, or determine the diameter of a projectile or bore”
17th Century
English
calibre
“the diameter of a gun barrel or bullet”
18th Century
English
calibrate
“to determine or mark the caliber of an instrument”
Modern English
English
calibrate
“to adjust or standardize the accuracy of a device or system”