Plural of cal; informal abbreviation for calories, units of energy or heat.
Shortened form of 'calories' used colloquially in modern English, particularly in health, fitness, and nutrition contexts. The abbreviation became common in the late 20th century.
When someone says they're 'counting cals,' they're using nutrition-speak that's only about 50 years old—before that, people said the full word 'calories,' so language keeps getting more abbreviated in casual speech.
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