Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CA-LAM'I-TOUS-NESS, n.

Deep distress; wretchedness; misery; the quality of producing misery.

CA-LAM'I-TY, n. [L. calamitas. Qu. Ar. كَلَمَ, kalama, to wound; Heb. Ch. כךם, kalam, to make ashamed. Under this root the Syriac has calamity. The sense of the verb is to strike, to beat down. But the origin of the word is uncertain.]

Any great misfortune or cause of misery; generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evils, as loss of crops, earthquakes, conflagrations, defeat of armies, and the like. But it is applied also to the misfortunes which bring great distress upon individuals. – Milton. Prior. The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise. – Burke.

CAL'A-MUS, n. [L. from Gr. καλαμος, a stalk or stem, a reed, stubble; Eth. and Ar. قَلَمٌ, kalaman, calamus scriptorius, a writing reed, or pen. The verb in Arabic signifies to cut or pare. But qu., for it would seem to be allied to culmus.]

1. The generic name of the Indian cane, called also Rotang. It is without branches, has a crown at the top, and is beset with spines. – Encyc.
2. In antiquity, a pipe or fistula, a wind instrument, made of a reed or oaten stalk. – Encyc.
3. A rush or reed, used anciently as a pen to write on parchment or papyrus. – Encyc.
4. A sort of reed, or sweet-scented cane, used by the Jews as a perfume. It is a knotty root, reddish without and white within, and filled with a spungy substance. It has an aromatic smell. – Brown. Calmet.
5. The sweet flag, called by Linnæus, Acorus. – Encyc.

CA-LAN'DO, n. [It. calure, to decrease.]

In music, directs to a diminution of time and sound, till the sound is nearly lost to the ear.

CA-LAN'DRA, n.

A species of lark, with a thick bill, the upper part of the body of a reddish brown, spotted with black, with a body thicker than the sky-lark. – Pennant.

CA-LAN'DRE, or CAL'AN-DER, n.

The French name of a species of insect of the Beetle kind, very destructive in granaries. – Encyc.

CA-LAN'GAY, n.

A species of white parrot. – Ash.

CA-LASH', n. [Fr. caleche; D. kales; Sp. calesa; Russ. koliaska.]

1. A light chariot or carriage with very low wheels, used for taking the air in parks and gardens. It is open, or covered with mantlets of cloth, that are let down at pleasure. – Encyc.
2. A cover for the head sometimes used by ladies.

CAL'A-THUS, n. [L. and Gr.]

In architecture, a sort of basket in which females kept their work; also, a sort of cup used in sacrifices. – Elmes.

CAL'CA-DIS, n.

White vitriol.

CALC'AR, n.

In glass works, a kind of oven, or reverberating furnace, used for the calcination of sand and salt of potash and converting them into frit. – Encyc.

CALC'AR-ATE, n. [L. calcar, a spur, calx; the heel; Ir. calg, a sting or goad.]

Furnished with a spur; as, a calcarate corol, in larkspur; a calcarate nectary, a nectary resembling a cock's spur. – Martyn.

CAL-CAR'I-O-AR-GIL-LA'CEOUS, a.

Consisting of calcarious and argillaceous earth.

CAL-CA'RI-O-SIL-I'CIOUS, a.

Consisting of calcarious and silicious earth.

CAL-CA'RI-O-SUL'PHUR-OUS, a. [See Calx and Sulphur.]

Having lime and sulphur in combination, or partaking of both. – Kirwan.

CAL-CA'RIOUS, a. [L. calcarius. See Calx.]

Partaking of the nature of lime; having the qualities of lime; as, calcarious earth or stone. – Encyc. Kirwan.

CAL-CA'RI-OUS-NESS, n.

Quality of being calcarious.

CAL-CA-VAL'LA, n.

A kind of sweet wine from Portugal. – Mason.

CAL'CE-A-TED, a. [L. calceatus, from calceus, a shoe.]

Shod; fitted with or wearing shoes. – Johnson.

CAL'CE-DON, n. [See Chalcedony.]

With jewelers, a foul vein, like chalcedony, in some precious stones. – Ash.

CAL-CE-DON'IC, or CAL-CE-DO'NI-AN, a. [See Chalcedony.]

Pertaining to or resembling chalcedony. – Encyc. Kirwan.

CAL'CE-DO-NY, n.

See Chalcedony, the more correct orthography.

CAL-CIF'ER-OUS, a. [of calx, lime, and fero, to produce.]

Producing calx or lime.

CAL'CI-FORM, a. [of calx, lime, and forma, form.]

In the form of calx.

CAL-CIM'U-RITE, n. [of calx, lime, and muria, salt water.]

A species of earth, of the muriatic genus, of a blue or olive green color, of the consistence of clay. It consists of calcarious earth and magnesia tinged with iron. – Kirwan.