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calibre

calibre; bore

noun kah-LEE-breh Rare

Origin: From Arabic qālib (mould, shoemaker's last).

Also means

quality; stature

Usage Note

Calibre refers literally to the internal diameter of a gun barrel or the diameter of a bullet, and figuratively to a person's quality or importance — un artista de gran calibre (an artist of great stature). The Arabic origin in qālib, a mould, is genuinely interesting. The stress falls on the second syllable (ca-LI-bre).

Examples

"Es un político de alto calibre en la región."

Natural Translation

He is a high-calibre politician in the region.

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