ENGLISH
REFERENCE

calorie

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈkæɫɝi// UK //kˈælɔːɹi// calo·rie

n. a unit of energy that measures how much fuel is in food or how much energy your body uses. You count these when you want to know if a meal is heavy or light.

n. a unit of energy, specifically the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. In nutritional contexts, it typically refers to the kilocalorie (kcal), representing the energy value of food.


SIMPLE

This apple has about ninety calories.

CONTEXTUAL

Athletes often track their daily calorie intake to ensure they have enough energy for intense training sessions.

COMPLEX

While the physical definition of a calorie remains constant, the metabolic efficiency with which the human body processes different macronutrients can vary significantly between individuals.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly used in the plural when discussing diet or exercise; often paired with verbs like 'burn', 'consume', or 'track'.

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