Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CA'LIX, n. [L. calix; Gr. κυλιξ.]

1. A cup.
2. The membrane which covers the papillæ in the pelvis of the human kidney. – Coxe. But it seems to be erroneously used for calyx – which see.

CALK, n. [cauk.]

In New-England, a sharp pointed piece of iron on a shoe for a horse or an ox, called in Great Britain calkin; used to prevent the animal from slipping.

CALK, v.t. [cauk; Qu. the connection of this word with the Sp. calafetear; It. calafatare; Port. calafetar; Arm. calefeti; Fr. calfeter, to smear with cement or mortar; Ar. قَلَفَ kalafa, to stop the seams of ships with fine moss, &c., and pay them over with pitch; Sam. id. It may be corrupted from this word; if not, it may be from the Dan. kalk, calx, lime or mortar; but this seems not probable. The Germans and Danes have borrowed the Spanish and French word to express the idea. Skinner deduces the word from Fr. calage, tow.]

1. To drive oakum or old ropes untwisted, into the seams of a ship or other vessel, to prevent their leaking or admitting water. After the seams are filled they are covered with hot melted pitch or resin, to keep the oakum from rotting.
2. In some parts of America, to set upon a horse or ox, shoes armed with sharp points of iron, to prevent their slipping on ice; that is, to stop from slipping.

CALK'ED, pp. [cauk'ed.]

Having the seams stopped; furnished with shoes with iron points.

CALK'ER, n. [cauk'er.]

A man who calks; sometimes perhaps a calk or pointed iron on a horse-shoe.

CALK'IN, n.

A calk.

CALK'ING, n. [cauk'ing.]

In painting, the covering of the back side of a design with black lead, or red chalk, and tracing lines through on a waxed plate, or wall or other matter, by passing lightly over each stroke of the design with a point, which leaves an impression of the color on the plate or wall. – Chambers.

CALK'ING, ppr. [cauk'ing.]

Stopping the seams of a ship; putting on shoes with iron points.

CALK'ING-IRON, n. [cauk'ing-iron.]

An instrument like a chisel, used in calking ships.

CALL, n.

1. A vocal address, of summons or invitation; as, he will not come at a call.
2. Demand; requisition; public claim; as, listen to the calls of justice or humanity.
3. Divine vocation, or summons; as, the call of Abraham.
4. Invitation; request of a public body or society; as, a clergyman has a call to settle in the ministry.
5. A summons from heaven; impulse. St. Paul believed he had a call, when he persecuted the Christians. – Locke.
6. Authority; command. – Denham.
7. A short visit; as, to make a call; to give one a call; that is, a speaking to; D. kallen. To give one a call, is to stop a moment and speak or say a word; or to have a short conversation with.
8. Vocation; employment. In this sense calling is generally used.
9. A naming; a nomination. – Bacon.
10. Among hunters, a lesson blown on the horn, to comfort the hounds. – Encyc.
11. Among seamen, a whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his mate, to summon the sailors to their duty. – Encyc.
12. The English name of the mineral called by the Germans Tungsten or Wolfram. – Encyc.
13. Among fowlers, the noise or cry of a fowl, or a pipe to call birds by imitating their voice. – Encyc. Bailey.
14. In legislative bodies, the call of the house, is a calling over the names of the members, to discover who is absent, or for other purpose; a calling of names with a view to obtain answers from the persons named.

CALL, v.i.

1. To utter a loud sound, or to address by name; to utter the name; sometimes with to. The angel of God called to Hagar. – Gen. xxi.
2. To stop, without intention of staying; to make a short stop; as, to call at the inn. This use Johnson supposes to have originated in the custom of denoting one's presence at the door by a call. It is common, in this phrase, to use at; as, to call at the inn; or on, as, to call on a friend. This application seems to be equivalent to speak, D. kallen. Let us speak at this place. To call on, to make a short visit to; also, to solicit payment, or make a demand of a debt. In a theological sense, to pray to or worship; as, to call on the name of the Lord. – Gen. iv. To repeat solemnly. – Dryden. To call out, to utter a loud voice; to bawl; a popular use of the phrase.

CALL, v.t. [L. calo; Gr. καλεω; Sw. kalla; Dan. kalder; W. galw, to call; D. kallen, to talk; Ch. כלא, in Aph. to call, to thunder; Heb. to hold or restrain, which is the Gr. κωλυω, L. caula; Syr. Sam. and Eth. to hold, or restrain; Ar. to keep; L. celo. The primary sense is to press, drive or strain. We find the like elements and signification in Sax. giellan, or gyllan, to yell; Dan. galer, to crow. Class Gl. The W. galw is connected in origin with gallu, to be able, to have power, may, can, Eng. could, the root of gallant, L. gallus; &c. In a general sense, to drive; to strain or force out sound. Hence,]

1. To name; to denominate or give a name. And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. – Gen. i.
2. To convoke; to summon; to direct or order to meet; to assemble by order or public notice; often with together; as, the king called his council together; the president called together the congress.
3. To request to meet or come. He sent his servants to call them that were bidden. Matth xxii.
4. To invite. Because I have called and ye refused. Prov. i.
5. To invite or summon to come or be present; to invite, or collect; as, call all your senses to you.
6. To give notice to come by authority; to command to come; as, call a servant.
7. To proclaim; to name, or publish the name. Nor parish clerk, who calls the psalm so clear. – Gay.
8. To appoint or designate, as for an office, duty or employment. See, I have called by name Bezaleel. – Ex. xxxi. Paul, called to be an apostle. – Rom. i.
9. To invite; to warn; exhort. – Is. xxii. 12. Cruden.
10. To invite or draw into union with Christ; to bring to know, believe and obey the gospel. Rom. viii. 28.
11. To own and acknowledge. Heb. ii. xi.
12. To invoke or appeal to. I call God for a witness. 2 Cor. i.
13. To esteem or account. Is. lviii. 5. Matt. iii. 15. To call down, to invite, or to bring down. To call back, to revoke, or retract; to recall; to summon or bring back. To call for, to demand, require, or claim; as, a crime calls for punishment; or to cause to grow. Ezek. xxxvi. Also, to speak for; to ask; to request; as, to call for a dinner. To call in, to collect; as, to call in debts or money; or to draw from circulation; as, to call in clipped coin; or to summon together; to invite to come together; as, to call in neighbors or friends. To call forth, to bring or summon to action; as, to call forth all the faculties of the mind. To call off, to summon away; to divert; as, to call off the attention; to call off workmen from their employment. To call up, to bring into view or recollection; as, to call up the image of a deceased friend; also, to bring into action, or discussion; as to call up a bill before a legislative body. To call over, to read a list, name by name; to recite separate particulars in order, as a roll of names. To call out, to summon to fight; to challenge; also, to summon into service; as, to call out the militia. To call to mind, to recollect; to revive in memory.

CALL'ED, pp.

Invited; summoned; addressed; named; appointed; invoked; assembled by order; recited.

CALL'ER, n.

One who calls.

CAL'LET, or CAL'LAT, n.

A trull or a scold. [Not used.] – Shak.

CAL'LET, v.i.

To rail; to scold. [Not in use.]

CAL-LID'I-TY, n. [L. calliditas.]

Skill; discernment; shrewdness.

CALL'ING, n.

1. A naming, or inviting; a reading over or reciting in order, or a call of names with a view to obtain an answer, as in legislative bodies.
2. Vocation; profession; trade; usual occupation, or employment. – Pope. Swift. 1 Cor. vii. 20.
3. Class of persons engaged in any profession or employment. – Hammond.
4. Divine summons, vocation, or invitation. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. 2 Pet. i.

CALL'ING, ppr.

Inviting; summoning; naming; addressing; invoking.

CAL-LI'O-PE, n. [calli'opy.]

In Pagan mythology, the Muse that presides over eloquence and heroic poetry.

CAL'LI-PERS, n.

See CALIBER.

CAL-LOS'I-TY, n. [Fr. callosité; L. callositas. See Callous.]

Hardness, or bony hardness; the hardness of the cicatrix of ulcers. – Coxe.

CAL'LOUS, a. [L. callus, hardness; calleo, to be hard, to know or be skilled; Eng. could – which see.]

1. Hard; hardened; indurated; as an ulcer or some part of the body. – Wiseman.
2. Hardened in mind; insensible; unfeeling. – Dryden.

CAL'LOUS-LY, adv.

In a hardened or unfeeling manner.

CAL'LOUS-NESS, n.

Hardness, induration, applied to the body; insensibility, applied to the mind or heart. – Cheyne. Bentley.