caliber

caliber — 名詞

1. the degree of excellence, skill, or importance that a person or thing has — for

1.名詞B2
釋義

水準；品質

指能力或事物的優良等級

the degree of excellence, skill, or importance that a person or thing has — for example, a school that attracts students of the highest caliber, or a manager whose ability does not match the caliber of the previous one.

例句

The university only recruits candidates of the highest caliber.

這所大學只招募最高水準的應徵者。

collocation: of the highest caliber

Rachel's work on the climate report is of a different caliber from the earlier drafts.

Rachel 的氣候報告與先前草稿是不同檔次的作品。

collocation: of a different caliber

同義詞
  • quality

    more general and works for both positive and negative judgments; 'caliber' leans toward high achievement

  • standard

    emphasises a benchmark or target level rather than the intrinsic quality itself

  • stature

    focuses on personal reputation and importance, narrower than 'caliber'

反義詞
  • mediocrity

    the state of being average or poor in quality, opposite of high caliber

文法句型

of + adjective + caliber

the caliber of + noun

用法筆記

Commonly used in formal or professional contexts. Takes the pattern 'of' + adjective + 'caliber' (e.g., of higher caliber, of exceptional caliber). Subject is usually an institution, a person's ability, or a body of work.

常見錯誤

❌This is a high caliber product.
✅This product is of high caliber.
💡'caliber' typically follows 'of' when describing quality, rather than being used as a direct adjective modifier.
❌The caliber of the food was terrible.
✅The quality of the food was terrible.
💡'caliber' sounds unnatural for everyday negative evaluations of products; use 'quality' instead.

2. the distance across the hollow center of a gun barrel, pipe, or tube; also, the

2.名詞B2
釋義

口徑

槍管或管道的內部直徑

the distance across the hollow center of a gun barrel, pipe, or tube; also, the size of a bullet that fits that barrel.

例句

The hunter carried a .22 caliber rifle for small game.

那位獵人攜帶一把點二二口徑的步槍打小型獵物。

common pattern: [number] caliber rifle

Ryo checked the caliber of the pipe before ordering the fittings.

Ryo 在訂購接頭之前先檢查了管道的口徑。

同義詞
  • diameter

    the general mathematical term; 'caliber' is specific to guns, bullets, pipes, and tubes

  • gauge

    used for shotguns and some industrial measurements; follows a different numbering system

  • bore

    refers specifically to the hollow interior of a tube or gun barrel, not the bullet itself

文法句型

number + caliber

caliber of + noun

用法筆記

When referring to firearms, caliber is usually expressed as a decimal fraction (e.g., .22, .45) or in millimetres (e.g., 9mm). For pipes and tubes, it is described with general adjectives (wide, narrow, large, small). Distinguish from gauge (used for shotguns), which follows a different scale.

常見錯誤

❌The rifle used 22-millimeter caliber bullets.
✅The rifle used .22 caliber bullets.
💡In US firearms, caliber is usually expressed as a decimal fraction of an inch, not metric (unless the weapon is explicitly designed for metric ammunition).
❌This pipe's caliber is too narrow.
✅The bore of this pipe is too narrow.
💡'caliber' for pipes is technical; 'bore' or 'diameter' sounds more natural in everyday speech.