n. [ Icel, karl a male, a man; akin to AS. ceorl, OHG. charal, G. kerl fellow. See Churl. ] [ Written also carle. ] 1. A rude, rustic man; a churl. [ 1913 Webster ]

The miller was a stout carl. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Large stalks of hemp which bear the seed; -- called also carl hemp. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. pl. A kind of food. See citation, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

Caring or carl are gray steeped in water and fried the next day in butter or fat. They are eaten on the second Sunday before Easter, formerly called Carl Sunday. Robinson's Whitby Glossary (1875). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dim., fr. carl male. ] An old woman. [ Scot. & Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

[ F. carline, It., Sp., & Pg., carlina. Said to be so called from the Emperor Charlemagne, whose army is reputed to have used it as a remedy for pestilence. ] (Bot.) A prickly plant of the genus Carlina (Carlina vulgaris), found in Europe and Asia. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ n. [ Cf. F. carlingur, Sp. Pg., & It. carlinga. ] (Naut.) A short timber running lengthwise of a ship, from one transverse desk beam to another; also, one of the cross timbers that strengthen a hath; -- usually in pl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. Same as Carl, 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

Carling Sunday, a Sunday in Lent when carls are eaten. In some parts of England, Passion Sunday. See Carl, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A partisan of Charles X. of France, or of Don Carlos of Spain. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. carlock, fr. Russ. Karlúk'. ] A sort of Russian isinglass, made from the air bladder of the sturgeon, and used in clarifying wine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Carl. ] A churl; a boor; a peasant or countryman. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. Carlovingen. ] Pertaining to, founded by, of descended from, Charlemagne; as, the Carlovingian race of kings. [ 1913 Webster ]