Caliber is the measurement of the inside width of a gun barrel or the diameter of a bullet. It can also mean the quality or ability level of a person or thing.
From French 'calibre,' probably from Arabic 'qālib' meaning 'mold' or 'model,' used for casting metal. The word moved into European languages with firearms technology. The leap from physical size to 'quality level' came later as a metaphor.
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