different between cartridge vs caliber

English

Etymology

Corruption of French cartouche. Doublet of cartouche.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k??t??d?/
• (US) enPR: kär?tr?j, IPA^(key): /?k??t??d?/

Noun

cartridge (plural cartridges)

1. (firearms) The package consisting of the bullet, primer, and casing containing gunpowder; a round of ammunition.
2. (by extension) A prefabricated subassembly that can be easily installed in or removed from a larger mechanism or replaced with another interchangeable subassembly.
3. (computing) A vessel which contains the ink or toner for a computer printer and can be easily replaced with another.
4. (computing) Magnetic tape storage, used for storing (backup) copies of data.
   • 1983, Helpline (in Sinclair User issue 21)

     The program generates a catalogue of the files on the cartridge selected by the user, reads the catalogue into memory and erases the cartridge copy, so that an up-to-date copy is always generated.

5. (computing) A removable enclosure containing read-only memory devices, used for rapid loading of software onto a home computer or video game console.
   • 1981, Communication Outlook (volume 3)

     We would like to see someone market a low-power, text-to-speech cartridge that would mate with the Epson and use its internal battery pack.

   • 2002, Video Game Bible, 1985-2002 (page 180)

     Nintendo made sure to loudly trumpet all of the advantages of the cartridge format, particularly the greatly reduced loading times and the sturdiness of the cartridges […]
6. (obsolete) A small paper package, e.g. in an old book about making printer's type: After all the type has been cast: "The Boy will paper up each sort in a cartridge by itself".

Derived terms

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• calibre (more common form in UK etc)

Etymology

From French calibre (“bore of a gun, size, capacity (literally, and figuratively), also weight”), from Italian calibro.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?kæl.?.b?(?)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?kæl.?.b?/
• Hyphenation: cal?i?bre

Noun

caliber (countable and uncountable, plural calibers) (British spelling, Australia, Canada, New Zealand)

1. Diameter of the bore of a firearm, typically measured between opposite lands.
2. The diameter of round or cylindrical body, as of a bullet, a projectile, or a column.
3. A nominal name for a cartridge type, which may not exactly indicate its true size and may include other measurements such as cartridge length or black powder capacity. Eg 7.62×39 or 38.40.
4. Unit of measure used to express the length of the bore of a weapon. The number of calibres is determined by dividing the length of the bore of the weapon, from the breech face of the tube to the muzzle, by the diameter of its bore. A gun tube the bore of which is 40 feet (480 inches) long and 12 inches in diameter is said to be 40 calibers long.
5. (figuratively) Relative size, importance, magnitude.
6. (figuratively) Capacity or compass of mind.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Burke to this entry?)

7. (dated) Degree of importance or station in society.

Related terms

• calibrate
• calibration
• calipers

Translations

References

• caliber in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• caliber in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

References

The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Clarendon Press, 1989.

Anagrams

• calibre