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calorie

The definition of a calorie is a measure of energy in food, specifically the measure of heat needed to raise a kilogram or a gram of water by one degree Celsius.

(noun)

An example of a calorie is five calories are needed to bring a kilogram of water up one degree Celsius.
An example of a calorie is that there are 70 calories in an egg.

See calorie in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree celsius; gram calorie; small calorie
the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree celsius; great calorie; kilocalorie; 1,000 calories; large calorie
1. a unit equal to the large calorie, used for measuring the energy produced by food when oxidized in the body
2. an amount of food able to produce one large calorie of energy

Origin: Fr < L calor, heat; akin to calere, to be warm < IE base *kel-, warm > OE hlēowe, warm

See calorie in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Abbr. cal Any of several approximately equal units of heat, each measured as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C from a standard initial temperature, especially from 3.98°C, 14.5°C, or 19.5°C, at 1 atmosphere pressure. Also called gram calorie, small calorie.
Abbr. cal The unit of heat equal to ¹/₁₀₀ the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water from 0 to 100°C at 1 atmosphere pressure. Also called mean calorie.
a. Abbr. Cal The unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C at 1 atmosphere pressure. Also called kilocalorie, kilogram calorie, large calorie.
b. A unit of energy-producing potential equal to this amount of heat that is contained in food and released upon oxidation by the body. Also called nutritionist's calorie.