calorie

calorie / calorie

Noun

pl: calories

This term is used in two distinct contexts: nutritional and scientific. In common parlance, it refers to the energy derived from food, though this is technically a kilocalorie (1,000 small calories). It carries a strong association with health, weight management, and metabolic processes. In a laboratory setting, it refers to a precise thermodynamic measurement of heat. Because it is a standard unit of measurement, it follows regular countability rules, though it is often used in the plural when discussing dietary intake or energy totals.

Meanings

Nouncalorie

A unit of energy used to measure the amount of energy provided by food and the amount of energy expended by the body.

"The nutrition label shows that the snack contains 200 calories per serving."

Nouncalorie

A unit of energy equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.

"In a laboratory setting, a calorie is defined as the heat required to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius."

Last Updated: June 18, 2026•Report an Error