Calibre
/ˈkæl.ɪ.bər/noun
The diameter of a bullet or gun barrel; by extension, a person’s level of quality or ability.
Did you know?Calibre ultimately comes from Arabic qālib, meaning a mold or template, which passed through Italian and French before becoming an English word about guns and then personal worth.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic
AR
qālib
“a mold, form, or pattern”
Medieval Latin
LA
calibra
“a gauge or measure”
Italian
IT
calibro
“a gauge for measuring the bore of a gun”
French
FR
calibre
“the internal diameter of a firearm barrel; a gauge”
Late 16th Century
English
caliber/calibre
“the diameter of a gun barrel; later, figuratively, rank or quality”