caliper Hear it!

caliper definition

cali·per (kal′ə pər)

noun

  1. an instrument consisting of a pair of movable, curved legs fastened together at one end, used to measure the thickness or diameter of something: there are inside calipers and outside calipers
  2. caliper rule
  3. thickness, as of paper or cardboard, expressed in mils
    1. the part pressed against the spinning wheel in a hand-operated bicycle braking system
    2. the automotive disc brake housing containing the friction pads

Etymology: var. of caliber

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to measure with calipers

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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