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Definition of kilocalorie

kilocalorie

/ˈkɪləˌkælɚi/
ki · lo · cal · o · rie
Plural:kilocalories
•
Adjective:kilocaloric
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kilocalorie Lexical Profile

kilocalorie Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A unit of thermal energy equal to one thousand small (gram) calories, or the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius; commonly used in nutrition to measure the energy value of food.

Example

"An average adult requires roughly two thousand kilocalories per day to maintain a stable body weight."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for kilocalorie

Word Nuance & Usage

In everyday nutrition and food labeling, what is casually called a "calorie" (or written with a capital "C" as "Calorie") is actually a kilocalorie, equal to 1,000 small (gram) calories.

• Nearby Words

kiln
kilo
kilobyte
kilocalorie
kilogram
kilojoule
kiloliter

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 19th century from the metric prefix kilo- (from Greek khilioi, meaning "thousand") and calorie (from French calorie, ultimately from Latin calor, meaning "heat").

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Kilocalorie. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 1, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/kilocalorie
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