n. See Alkalimeter. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being biblical; a biblical subject. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. (Hindoo Myth.) The tenth avatar or incarnation of the god Vishnu. [ Written also Kali. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To ascertain the caliber of, as of a thermometer tube; also, more generally, to determine or rectify the graduation of, as of the various standards or graduated instruments. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The process of estimating the caliber a tube, as of a thermometer tube, in order to graduate it to a scale of degrees; also, more generally, the determination of the true value of the spaces in any graduated instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F. calibre, perh. fr. L. qualibra of what pound, of what weight; hence, of what size, applied first to a ball or bullet; cf. also Ar. qālib model, mold. Cf. Calipers, Calivere. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Gunnery) The diameter of the bore, as a cannon or other firearm, or of any tube; or the weight or size of the projectile which a firearm will carry; as, an 8 inch gun, a 12-pounder, a 44 caliber. [ 1913 Webster ]

The caliber of empty tubes. Reid. [ 1913 Webster ]

A battery composed of three guns of small caliber. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The caliber of firearms is expressed in various ways. Cannon are often designated by the weight of a solid spherical shot that will fit the bore; as, a 12-pounder; pieces of ordnance that project shell or hollow shot are designated by the diameter of their bore; as, a 12 inch mortar or a 14 inch shell gun; small arms are designated by hundredths of an inch expressed decimally; as, a rifle of .44 inch caliber. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The diameter of round or cylindrical body, as of a bullet or column. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fig.: Capacity or compass of mind. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Caliber compasses. See Calipers. --
Caliber rule, a gunner's calipers, an instrument having two scales arranged to determine a ball's weight from its diameter, and conversely. --
A ship's caliber, the weight of her armament. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Calice. ] See Chalice. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a deposit of sand or clay on the surface containing crystallized salts such as sodium chloride or sodium nitrate; -- used especially of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru. RHUD [ PJC ]

2. a stratum of calcium carbonate in the soil of an arid or semiarid region. [ PJC ]

adj. covered with caliche{ 2 }, a hard calcium-carbonate encrusted soil. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. caliculus a small cup, dim. of calicis, a cup. Cf Calycle. ] (Zool.) (a) One of the small cuplike cavities, often with elevated borders, covering the surface of most corals. Each is formed by a polyp. (b) One of the cuplike structures inclosing the zooids of certain hydroids. See Campanularian. [ Written also calycle. See Calycle. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Calicoes [ So called because first imported from Calicut, in the East Indies: cf. F. calicot. ] 1. Plain white cloth made from cotton, but which receives distinctive names according to quality and use, as, super calicoes, shirting calicoes, unbleached calicoes, etc. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The importation of printed or stained colicoes appears to have been coeval with the establishment of the East India Company. Beck (Draper's Dict. ). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Cotton cloth printed with a figured pattern. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the United States the term calico is applied only to the printed fabric. [ 1913 Webster ]

Calico bass (Zool.), an edible, fresh-water fish (Pomoxys sparaides) of the rivers and lake of the Western United States (esp. of the Misissippi valley.), allied to the sunfishes, and so called from its variegated colors; -- called also calicoback, grass bass, strawberry bass, barfish, and bitterhead. --
Calico printing, the art or process of impressing the figured patterns on calico. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Made of, or having the appearance of, calico; -- often applied to an animal, as a horse or cat, on whose body are large patches of a color strikingly different from its main color. [ Colloq. U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) The calico bass. (b) An hemipterous insect (Murgantia histrionica) which injures the cabbage and other garden plants; -- called also calico bug and harlequin cabbage bug. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ a. } a. Relating to, or resembling, a cup; also improperly used for calycular, calyculate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. calidus, fr. calere to be hot. ] Hot; burning; ardent. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Heat. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Caloriduct. ] A pipe or duct used to convey hot air or steam. [ 1913 Webster ]

Subterranean caliducts have been introduced. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ n., } n., etc. Same as Caliph, Caliphate, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) a large vulture (Gymnogyps californianus), also called California vulture. In the late 20th century it is classed as an endangered species. The California condor used to number in the thousands and ranged along the entire west coast of the United States. By 1982 only 21 to 24 individuals could be identified in the wild. A breeding program was instituted, and by 1996 over 50 birds were alive in captivity. As of 1997, fewer than ten of the bred birds had been reintroduced into the wild. [ PJC ]

A game at cards, a modification of seven-up, or all fours. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Of or pertaining to California. -- n. A native or inhabitant of California. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. caligatio, fr. caligare to emit vapor, to be dark, from caligo mist, darkness. ] Dimness; cloudiness. [ R. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. caliginosus dark. See Caligation. ] Darkness. [ R. ] G. Eliot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. caliginosus; cf. F. caligineux. ] Affected with darkness or dimness; dark; obscure. [ R. ] Blount. [ 1913 Webster ]

The caliginous regions of the air. Hallywell.

-- Ca*lig"i*nous*ly, adv. -- Ca*lig"i*nous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., darkness. ] (Med.) Dimness or obscurity of sight, dependent upon a speck on the cornea; also, the speck itself. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Calligraphic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Caligraphy. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. Malay kelany tin, or fr. Kala'a, a town in India, fr. which it came. ] An alloy of lead and tin, of which the Chinese make tea canisters. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. carapace, Sp. carapacho. Cf Calarash, Carapace. ] A part of a turtle which is next to the upper shell. It contains a fatty and gelatinous substance of a dull greenish tinge, much esteemed as a delicacy in preparations of turtle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Calipash ] A part of a turtle which is attached to the lower shell. It contains a fatty and gelatinous substance of a light yellowish color, much esteemed as a delicacy. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ Corrupted from caliber. ] An instrument, usually resembling a pair of dividers or compasses with curved legs, for measuring the diameter or thickness of bodies, as of work shaped in a lathe or planer, timber, masts, shot, etc.; or the bore of firearms, tubes, etc.; -- called also caliper compasses, or caliber compasses. [ 1913 Webster ]

Caliper square, a draughtsman's or mechanic's square, having a graduated bar and adjustable jaw or jaws. Knight. --
Vernier calipers. See Vernier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. caliphe, califfe, F. calife (cf. Sp. califa), fr. Ar. khalīfan successor, fr. khalafa to succed (i. e. a successor of Mohammed). ] Successor or vicar; the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state; -- a title of the successors of Mohammed both as temporal and spiritual rulers, used formerly by the sultans of Turkey. [ Written also calif, kaliph, kalif, khalif. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. califat. ] The office, dignity, or government of a caliph or of the caliphs. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to Calippus, an Athenian astronomer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Calippic period, a period of seventy-six years, proposed by Calippus, as an improvement on the Metonic cycle, since the 6940 days of the Metonic cycle exceeded 19 years by about a quarter of a day, and exceeded 235 lunations by something more. [ 1913 Webster ]

A valuable kind of Peruvian bark obtained from the Cinchona Calisaya, and other closely related species. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ n. [ NL. ] A gymnasium; esp. one for light physical exercise by women and children. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. kalo`s beautiful + sqe`nos strength. ] Of or pertaining to calisthenics. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The science, art, or practice of healthful exercise of the body and limbs, to promote strength, gracefulness, and general fitness; light gymnastics.
Syn. -- calisthenics, calisthenic exercise, callisthenic exercise. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Corrupted fr. caliber. ] An early form of hand gun, a variety of the arquebus; originally a gun having a regular size of bore. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. ] A cup. See Calyx. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A classical idiom, style, or expression; a classicism. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Adherence to what are supposed or assumed to be the classical canons of art. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who adheres to what he thinks the classical canons of art. Ruskin. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The quality of being classical. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An excessive devotion to the interests of the sacerdotal order; undue influence of the clergy; sacerdotalism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Comicalities The quality of being comical; something comical. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Conicalness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. the roundness of a 3-dimensional cylinder.
Syn. -- cylindricalness; cylindricity. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. [ F. décalitre; Gr. de`ka ten + F. litre. See Liter. ] A measure of capacity in the metric system; a cubic volume of ten liters, equal to about 610.24 cubic inches, that is, 2.642 wine gallons. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make toneless; to deprive of vowel quality. -- De*vo`cal*i*za"tion, n. [1913 Webster]

If we take a high vowel, such as (i) [= nearly i of bit], and devocalize it, we obtain a hiss which is quite distinct enough to stand for a weak (jh). H. Sweet. [1913 Webster]

a. [ L. didascalius, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to teach: cf. F. didascalique. ] Didactic; preceptive. [ R. ] Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]