Definition

Noun: A unit of energy measurement, specifically the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius at a pressure of one atmosphere. This unit is primarily used in nutritional science to quantify the energy content, or energy-producing potential, of food.

Usage

The term "kilogram calorie" is used in scientific and nutritional contexts to express the energy value of food. It is a precise measurement of dietary energy. - Example: "Nutrition labels often list the energy content of food in kilogram calories, though they are commonly referred to simply as 'Calories'."

Advanced Usage

• "Large Calorie": "Kilogram calorie" is synonymous with the term "large Calorie" (capital 'C'), which is distinct from the "small calorie" (lowercase 'c'), a unit 1,000 times smaller. The large Calorie is the standard unit on food labels.
  • Example: "When a nutritionist says an apple contains 95 Calories, they are referring to 95 kilogram calories."

Variants and Related Words

• Calorie (with capital C): The common dietary term for a kilogram calorie.
• Kilocalorie (kcal): An equivalent term, often used in scientific literature.
• Small calorie (cal): A unit of energy equal to 1/1000th of a kilogram calorie, used in physics and chemistry.

Synonyms

• Large calorie
• Kilocalorie (kcal)
• Food calorie (informal)

Related Phrases

• Caloric content: Refers to the energy value measured in kilogram calories.
  • Example: "The caloric content of this meal is very high."
• Calorie-dense: Describes food that has a high number of kilogram calories per unit of weight.
  • Example: "Nuts are a calorie-dense snack."

Noun

1. a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree at one atmosphere pressure; used by nutritionists to characterize the energy-producing potential in food