An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

1) Thermodynamics: The amount of → heat, in the → CGS system, required to raise the temperature of one gram of water from 14.5 °C to 15.5 °C at standard pressure. It is equal to 4.1858 → joules, a quantity called the 15° calorie. Also called gram-calorie, small calorie.
2) Physiology: A unit used to express the heat output of an organism and the fuel or energy value of food. It is equal to one kilocalorie.

From Fr. calorie, from L. calor "heat," calidus "warm;" PIE base *kelə- "cold; warm;" Av. sarəta- "cold;" Mod.Pers. sard "cold, cool;" Skt. śiśira- "cold;" Ossetian sald "cold," Lith. šaltas "cold," silti "become warm;" Welsh clyd "cool."