Calliber
/ˈkælɪbər/noun
An obsolete spelling of caliber, especially referring to the internal diameter of a gun barrel.
Did you know?The ultimate ancestry of caliber is debated: scholars connect it through Italian and French to Arabic qālib, “mold,” possibly borrowed from Greek kalapous, “shoemaker’s last.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
καλαπόδιον (kalapodion)
“A shoemaker’s last or shaping form; proposed by some scholars as the distant source.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
قالب (qālib)
“A mold, قالب or form used to shape something; another proposed source.”
16th Century
Italian
calibro
“The diameter or bore of a gun barrel; also a standard or gauge.”
16th Century
French
calibre
“The diameter of a firearm’s bore, and later a measure of quality or capacity.”
16th–17th Century
English
caliber / calliber
“The bore diameter of a gun; calliber is an obsolete historical spelling.”
Modern English
English
caliber
“The internal diameter of a gun barrel, or figuratively, a person’s level of ability or quality.”