Added 9 October 2026
caul
/kɔːl/ noun
Latin root: calautica Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about caul at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Part of the peritoneum attached to the stomach and to the colon and covering the intestines.
- The inner membrane of embryos in higher vertebrates (especially when covering the head at birth).
Origin
From Middle English calle, kelle, kalle, kolle (“caul, net, basket”), from Old English cāwl, cāul, cēawl, cēaul (“basket, container, net, sieve”), of uncertain origin. Reinforced by Old French cale (“close-fitting cap”), possibly a borrowing of the Old English term above, or alternatively related to Old French calotte (“headdress”), from Italian callotta, from Latin calautica (“type of female headdress which fell down over the shoulders”), itself of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots kell (“caul”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)