Calories

Thermodynamics.

Also called gram calorie, small calorie. an amount of heat exactly equal to 4.1840 joules.
Abbreviation: cal.
(usually initial capital letter) kilocalorie.
Abbreviation: Cal.

Physiology.

a unit equal to the kilocalorie, used to express the heat output of an organism and the fuel or energy value of food.
a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy.

calorie.
Contemporary Examples

Catching Up With the Hipster Grifter Natasha Vargas-Cooper November 10, 2009
Babies’ Skinny Moment: Obesity in Little Ones Drops 43 Percent Brandy Zadrozny February 24, 2014
The Writhing, Miserable Reality of Force Feeding at Guantánamo Bay Kent Sepkowitz May 1, 2013
The 30 Deadliest Pizza Slices The Daily Beast September 11, 2010
Paid to Tweet? Isabel Wilkinson January 10, 2010

Historical Examples

The Red Cow and Her Friends Peter McArthur
Gigolo Edna Ferber
Food in War Time Graham Lusk
Gigolo Edna Ferber
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping Elizabeth Hale Gilman

noun (pl) -ries
a unit of heat, equal to 4.1868 joules (International Table calorie): formerly defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C under standard conditions. It has now largely been replaced by the joule for scientific purposes cal Also called gram calorie, small calorie Compare Calorie
noun
Also called kilogram calorie, kilocalorie, large calorie. a unit of heat, equal to one thousand calories, often used to express the heat output of an organism or the energy value of food Cal
the amount of a specific food capable of producing one thousand calories of energy
n.

calorie
(kāl’ə-rē)