Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAL'EN-DRER, n.

The person who calenders cloth.

CA-LEN'DRIC-AL, a.

Pertaining to a calendar.

CAL'ENDS, n. [plur. L. calendæ, from calo, Gr. καλεω, Eng. to call. See Call.]

Among the Romans, the first day of each month. The origin of this name is differently related. Varro supposes it to have originated in the practice of notifying the time of the new moon, by a priest who called out or proclaimed the fact to the people, and the number of the calends, or the day of the nones. Others alledge that the people being convened, the pontifex proclaimed the several feasts or holidays in the month; a custom which was discontinued in the year of Rome 450, when the fasti or calendar was set up in public places, to give notice of the festivals. Encyc. Adam's Rom. Antiq.

CAL'EN-TURE, n. [Sp. calentura, heat, a fever with irregular pulse; calentar, to heat; from L. caleo, to be hot. Russ. kalyu, to heat, to make red or red hot.]

A violent ardent fever, incident to persons in hot climates, especially natives of cooler climates. It is attended with delirium, and one of the symptoms is, that the person affected imagines the sea to be a green field, and sometimes attempting to walk in it, is lost. Encyc. Coxe.

CA-LES'CENCE, n. [L. calesco.]

Growing warmth; growing heat.

CALF, n. [c'aff, plur. calves, pron. c'avz. Sax. cealf; Sw. kalf; Dan. kalv; D. kalf; and the verb kalven, to calve, to vomit; G. kalb; kalben. The primary sense is issue, from throwing out. Hence the word is applied to the protuberant part of the leg, a push, a swell.]

1. The young of the cow, or of the bovine genus of quadrupeds.
2. In contempt, a dolt; an ignorant, stupid person; a weak or cowardly man. Drayton.
3. The thick fleshy part of the leg behind, so called from its protuberance. Wiseman.
4. The calves of the lips, in Hosea, signify the pure offerings of prayer, praise and thanksgiving. Brown.

CALF'LIKE, a.

Resembling a calf. Shak.

CALF'SKIN, n.

The hide or skin of a calf; or leather made of the skin.

CAL'I-BER, n. [Fr. and Sp. calibre.]

1. The diameter of a body; as, the caliber of a column, or of a bullet. Encyc.
2. The bore of a gun, or the extent of its bore. Caliber-compasses, calibers, or callipers, a sort of compasses made with arched legs, to take the diameter of round bodies, as masts, shot, &c. The legs move on an arch of brass, on which are marked the inches and half inches, to show how far the points of the compasses are opened asunder. Encyc. Caliber-rule, Gunner's Callipers, an instrument in which a right line is so divided as that the first part being equal to the diameter of an iron or leaden ball of one pound weight, the other parts are to the first as the diameters of balls of two, three, four, &c. pounds, are to the diameter of a ball of one pound. It is used by engineers, to determine, from ball's weight, its diameter or caliber, and vice versa. Encyc.

CAL'ICE, n. [L. calix; Fr. calice; Sax. calic, a cup; Gr. κυλιξ. It is usually written chalice; but incorrectly.]

A cup; appropriately, a communion cup, or vessel used to administer the wine in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. It is used by the Roman Catholics in the mass.

CAL'I-CO, n. [Said to be from Calicut, in India.]

Cotton cloth. In England, white or unprinted cotton cloth is called calico. In the United States, calico is printed cotton cloth, having not more than two colors. I have never heard this name give to the unprinted cloth. Calico was originally imported from India, but is now manufactured in Europe and the United States.

CAL'ID, a. [L. calidus, from caleo, to be hot.]

Hot; burning; ardent. Johnson.

CA-LID'I-TY, n.

Heat. Brown.

CAL'I-DUCT, n. [L. caleo, to be hot, calor, heat, and duco, to lead.]

A pipe or canal used to convey hot air or steam, from a furnace to the apartments of a house.

CA'LIF, n. [Written also caliph and kalif. From Ar. خَلَقَ calafa, to succeed. Hence a calif is a successor, a title given to the successors of Mohammed.]

A successor or vicar; a representative of Mohammed, bearing the same relation to him as the Pope pretends to bear to St. Peter. Among the Saracens, or Mohammedans, a calif is one who is vested with supreme dignity and power in all matters relating to religion and civil policy. This title is borne by the Grand Signior in Turkey, and by the Sophi of Persia. Encyc.

CAL'IF-ATE, or CAL'I-PH-ATE, n. [or KAL'IF-ATE.]

The office or dignity of a calif; or the government of a calif. Harris.

CAL-I-GA'TION, n. [L. caligatio, dimness, from caligo, to be dark.]

Darkness; dimness; cloudiness. In medical authors, caligation or caligo, is an opakeness or cloudiness of the anterior surface of the crystalline lens, causing dimness of sight; impaired sight from obstruction to the passage of light, or cataract. Coxe. Encyc.

CA-LIG'IN-OUS, a.

Dim; obscure; dark.

CA-LIG'I-NOUS-LY, adv.

Obscurely.

CA-LIG'IN-OUS-NESS, n.

Dimness; obscurity.

CAL-I-GRAPH'IC, a. [Infra.]

Pertaining to elegant penmanship. Warton

CA-LIG'RA-PHIST, n.

An elegant penman.

CA-LIG'RA-PHY, n. [Gr. καλος, fair, and γραφω, to write; καλλιγραφια.]

Fair or elegant writing, or penmanship. Prideaux.

CA'LIN, n.

A compound metal, of which the Chinese make tea canisters and the like. The ingredients seem to be lead and tin. Encyc.

CAL'IPASH, or CAL'I-PEE, n.

Terms in cookery.