Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAT'-PIPE, n.

See CATCALL.

CAT'-SALT, n.

A sort of salt beautifully granulated, formed out of the bittern or leach-brine, used for making hard soap.

CAT'S'-EYE, n.

Sunstone, a subspecies of quartz, called in Latin Oculus cati or Onycopalus, from its while zones or rings like onyx, and its variable colors like opal. It is very hard and semitransparent, and from certain points exhibits a yellowish radiation, or chatoyant appearance, somewhat resembling a cat's eye. – Encyc. Cleaveland.

CAT'S'-FOOT, n.

A plant of genus Glechoma, ground ivy, or gill.

CAT'S'-HEAD, n.

A kind of apple.

CAT'-SIL-VER, n.

A fossil, a species of mica.

CAT'S'-PAW, n.

1. Among seamen, a light air perceived, in a calm, by a rippling of the surface of the water; also, a particular turn in the bight of a rope, made to hook a tackle on. – Mar. Dict.
2. A dupe; the instrument which another uses.

CAT'SUP, n.

See CATCHUP, KETCHUP.

CAT'-TAIL, n. [cat and tail.]

1. A species of the genus Typha, the downy substance of which is used for stuffing mattresses, &c. – Bailey.
2. A substance growing on nut-trees, pines, &c. – Bailey.

CAT'TLE, n. [sing. or plur. Norm. catal, chastel, and chatters, goods, commodities, movables; Arm. chetal, beasts; Port. gado. In Syr. and Ch. גת and גית signify a flock, herd, possession, goods. But Spelman alledges that the word chattel is contracted from capitalia, captal, from caput, a word used in the middle ages for all goods, movable and immovable, answering nearly to the use of Gr. κεφαλαιον, Acts xxii. 28, πολλου κεφαλαιου, “with a great price or sum I obtained this freedom.” Qu. Sp. caudal, wealth, property, capital sum. Cattle may be from the root of It. cattare, to get, and denote possessions.]

1. Beasts or quadrupeds in general, serving for tillage or other labor, and for food to man. In its primary sense, the word includes camels, horses, asses, all the varieties of domesticated horned beasts or the bovine genus, sheep of all kinds and goats, and perhaps swine. In this general sense it is constantly used in the Scriptures. See Job i. 3. Hence it would appear that the word properly signifies possessions, goods. But whether from a word originally signifying a beast, for in early ages beasts constituted the chief part of a man's property, or from a root signifying to get or possess, Gr. κταομαι, It. cattare, or from capitalia, it is not easy to determine. This word is restricted to domestic beasts; but in England it includes horses, which it ordinarily does not, in the United States, at least not in New England.
2. In the United States, cattle, in common usage, signifies only beasts of the bovine genus, oxen, bulls, cows and their young. In the laws respecting domestic beasts, horses, sheep, asses, mules and swine are distinguished from cattle, or neat cattle. Thus the law in Connecticut, requiring “that all the owners of any cattle, sheep or swine, shall ear-mark or brand all their cattle, sheep and swine,” does not extend to horses. Yet it is probable that a law, giving damages for a trespass committed by cattle breaking into an inclosure, would be adjudged to include horses. In Great Britain, beasts are distinguished into black cattle, including bulls, oxen, cows and their young; and small cattle, including sheep of all kinds and goats.
3. In reproach, human beings are called cattle. – Shak.

CAT'TLE-SHOW, n.

An exhibition of domestic animals for prizes, or the encouragement of agriculture.

CAT'TY, n.

A Chinese weight of 1 3/4 pound.

CAU-CA'SI-AN, or CAU-CA-SE'AN, a.

Pertaining to Mount Caucasus in Asia. – As. Researches. Pinkerton.

CAUC'US, n.

A word used in America to denote a meeting of citizens to agree upon candidates to be proposed for election to offices, or to concert measures for supporting a party. The origin of the word is not ascertained.

CAUD'AL, a. [L. cauda, a tail.]

Pertaining to a tail, or to the thread which terminates the seed of a plant. – Botany.

CAUD'ATE, or CAUD'A-TED, a. [L. cauda, a tail.]

Having a tail.

CAUD'EX, n. [plur. Caudexes. L.]

In botany, the stem of a tree. Linnæus uses the word for the stock which proceeds from a seed, one part ascending and forming the body above ground, the other descending and putting forth roots. – Martyn. Darwin.

CAU'DLE, n. [Fr. chaudeau, from chaud, warm or hot, by contraction from L. calidus or its root; It. caldo.]

A kind of warm broth, a mixture of wine and other ingredients prepared for the sick. – Wiseman.

CAU'DLE, v.t.

To make or prepare caudle, or to dress with caudle. – Shak.

CAUF, n. [probably from the root of coffer.]

A chest with holes for keeping fish alive in water. – Ash.

CAUGHT, v. [pret. and pp. of catch, pronounced caut.]

CAUK, or CAWK, n.

A name given by miners to certain specimens of the compact sulphate of baryta. These are of a white, gray or fawn color, often irregular in figure, but sometimes resembling a number of small convex lenses set in a ground. – Nicholson. Ure. This name is sometimes given to masses composed of concentric lamellar concretions. – Cleaveland.

CAUK'Y, a.

Pertaining to cauk; like cauk. – Woodward.

CAUL, n. [L. caula, a fold, from the root of hold. See Hold.]

1. In anatomy, a membrane in the abdomen, covering the greatest part of the lower intestines, called from its structure, reticulum, a net, but more generally, the omentum; also, a little membrane sometimes encompassing the head of a child when born. – Encyc.
2. A kind of net in which females inclose their hair; the hinder part of a cap. – Dryden.
3. Any kind of net. – Grew.

CAU-LES'CENT, a. [L. caulis, a stalk; Gr. καυλος. See Cole.]

In botany, having an herbaceous stem, which bears both leaves and fructification.