Catnip, Catmint Cat"nip`, Cat"mint` noun (Botany) A well-know plant of the genus Nepeta ( N. Cataria ), somewhat like mint, having a string scent, and sometimes used in medicine. It is so called because cats have a peculiar fondness for it.

Cato-cathartic Cat`o-ca·thar"tic noun [ Greek ... down + ... serving to purge. See Cathartic .] (Medicine) A remedy that purges by alvine discharges.

Catonian Ca·to"ni·an adjective [ Latin Catonionus .] Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the stern old Roman, Cato the Censor; severe; inflexible.

Catopter, Catoptron Ca·top"ter, Ca·top"tron noun [ Greek ... mirror, from ... visible.] A reflecting optical glass or instrument; a mirror. [ Obsolete]

Catoptric, Catoptrical Ca·top"tric, Ca·top"tric·al adjective [ Greek .... See Catopter .] Of or pertaining to catoptrics; produced by reflection.

Catoptric light , a light in which the rays are concentrated by reflectors into a beam visible at a distance.

Catoptrics Ca·top"trics noun [ Confer French catoptrique . See Catropric .] (Physics) That part of optics which explains the properties and phenomena of reflected light, and particularly that which is reflected from mirrors or polished bodies; -- formerly called anacamptics .

Catoptromancy Ca·top"tro·man`cy noun [ Greek ... mirror + -mancy . See Catopter .] (Antiq.) A species of divination, which was performed by letting down a mirror into water, for a sick person to look at his face in it. If his countenance appeared distorted and ghastly, it was an ill omen; if fresh and healthy, it was favorable.

Catoptron Ca·top"tron (kȧ*tŏp"trŏn) noun [ Obsolete] See Catopter .

Catpipe Cat`pipe" (kăt"pīp`) noun See Catcall .

Catskill period Cats"kill pe`ri·od (Geol.) The closing subdivision of the Devonian age in America. The rocks of this period are well developed in the Catskill mountains, and extend south and west under the Carboniferous formation. See the Diagram under Geology .

Catso Cat"so noun ; plural Catsos . [ Italian cazzo .] A base fellow; a rogue; a cheat. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Catstick Cat"stick` noun A stick or club employed in the game of ball called cat or tipcat . Massinger.

Catstitch Cat"stitch transitive verb (Needlework) To fold and sew down the edge of with a coarse zigzag stitch.

Catsup Cat"sup noun Same as Catchup , and Ketchup .

Cattish Cat"tish (kăt"tĭsh) adjective Catlike; feline Drummond.

Cattle Cat"tle (kăt"t'l) noun plural [ Middle English calet , chatel , goods, property, Old French catel , chatel , Late Latin captale , capitale , goods, property, esp. cattle, from Latin capitals relating to the head, chief; because in early ages beasts constituted the chief part of a man's property. See Capital , and confer Chattel .] Quadrupeds of the Bovine family; sometimes, also, including all domestic quadrupeds, as sheep, goats, horses, mules, asses, and swine.

Belted cattle , Black cattle . See under Belted , Black . -- Cattle guard , a trench under a railroad track and alongside a crossing (as of a public highway). It is intended to prevent cattle from getting upon the track. -- cattle louse (Zoology) , any species of louse infecting cattle. There are several species. The Hæmatatopinus eurysternus and H. vituli are common species which suck blood; Trichodectes scalaris eats the hair. -- Cattle plague , the rinderpest; called also Russian cattle plague . -- Cattle range , or Cattle run , an open space through which cattle may run or range. [ U. S.] Bartlett. -- Cattle show , an exhibition of domestic animals with prizes for the encouragement of stock breeding; -- usually accompanied with the exhibition of other agricultural and domestic products and of implements.

Catty Cat"ty noun [ Malay katī . See Caddy .] An East Indian Weight of 1⅓ pounds.

Caucasian Cau·ca"sian adjective 1. Of or pertaining to the Caucasus, a mountainous region between the Black and Caspian seas.

2. Of or pertaining to the white races of mankind, of whom the people about Mount Caucasus were formerly taken as the type.

Caucasian Cau·ca"sian noun 1. A native or inhabitant of the Caucasus, esp. a Circassian or Georgian.

2. A member of any of the white races of mankind.

Caucus Cau"cus noun [ Etymology uncertain. Mr. J. H. Trumbull finds the origin of caucus in the N. A. Indian word cawcawwassough or caú cau-as'u one who urges or pushes on, a promoter. See citation for an early use of the word caucus .] A meeting, especially a preliminary meeting, of persons belonging to a party, to nominate candidates for public office, or to select delegates to a nominating convention, or to confer regarding measures of party policy; a political primary meeting.

This day learned that the caucus club meets, at certain times, in the garret of Tom Dawes, the adjutant of the Boston regiment.
John Adams's Diary [ Feb. , 1763].

Caucus Cau"cus intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Caucused ; present participle & verbal noun Caucusing .] To hold, or meet in, a caucus or caucuses.

Cauda galli Cau"da gal·li [ Latin , tail of a cock.] (Paleon.) A plume-shaped fossil, supposed to be a seaweed, characteristic of the lower Devonian rocks; as, the cauda galli grit.

Cauda galli epoch (Geol.) , an epoch at the begining of the Devonian age in eastern America, so named from the characteristic gritty sandstone marked with impressions of cauda galli . See the Diagram under Geology .

Caudad Cau"dad adverb [ Latin cauda tail + ad to.] (Zoology) Backwards; toward the tail or posterior part.

Caudal Cau"dal adjective [ Latin Cauda tail. Confer Coward .] Of the nature of, or pertaining to, a tail; having a tail-like appendage.

The male widow-bird, remarkable for his caudal plumes.
Darwin.

Caudal fin (Zoology) , the terminal fin (or "tail") of a fish.

Caudata Cau·da"ta noun plural [ New Latin , from Latin cauda tail.] (Zoology) See Urodela .

Caudate, Caudated Cau"date, Cau"da·ted adjective [ Latin cauda tail.] Having a tail; having a termination like a tail.

Caudex Cau"dex noun ; plural Latin Caudices , English Caudexes . [ Latin ] (Botany) The stem of a tree., esp. a stem without a branch, as of a palm or a tree fern; also, the perennial rootstock of an herbaceous plant.

Caudicle Cau"di·cle Cau*dic"u*la noun [ Dim. of Latin cauda tail, appendage.] (Botany) A slender, elastic process, to which the masses of pollen in orchidaceous plants are attached.

Caudle Cau"dle noun [ Old French caudel , French chaudeau , dim. of LL calidum a sweet drink, from Latin caidus warm. See Caldron .] A kind of warm drink for sick persons, being a mixture of wine with eggs, bread, sugar, and spices.

Caudle Cau"dle transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Caudled ; present participle & verbal noun Caudling .] 1. To make into caudle.

2. Too serve as a caudle to; to refresh. [ R.] Shak.

Cauf Cauf noun [ Perh. akin to Celtic caff , cav , cau , Latin cavus hollow, or to Latin caphinus , Greek ... basket.] A chest with holes for keeping fish alive in water. Philips.

Caufle Cau"fle noun A gang of slaves. Same as Coffle .

Caught Caught (kat), imperfect & past participle of Catch .

Cauk Cauk (kak) noun , Cauk"er (-ẽr) noun See Cawk , Calker .

Caul Caul (kal) noun [ Middle English calle , kelle , probably from French cale ; confer Ir. calla a veil.] 1. A covering of network for the head, worn by women; also, a net. Spenser.

2. (Anat.) The fold of membrane loaded with fat, which covers more or less of the intestines in mammals; the great omentum. See Omentum .

The caul serves for the warming of the lower belly.
Ray.

3. A part of the amnion, one of the membranes enveloping the fetus, which sometimes is round the head of a child at its birth.

It is deemed lucky to be with a caul or membrane over the face. This caul is esteemed an infallible preservative against drowning . . . According to Chysostom, the midwives frequently sold it for magic uses.
Grose.

I was born with a caul , which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas.
Dickens.

Caulescent Cau·les"cent adjective [ Latin caulis stalk, stem: confer French caulescent .] (Botany) Having a leafy stem.

Caulicle Cau"li·cle noun (Botany) A short caulis or stem, esp. the rudimentary stem seen in the embryo of seed; -- otherwise called a radicle .

Cauliculus Cau·lic"u·lus (ka*lĭk"u*lŭs) noun ; plural Cauliculi (- lī). [ Latin cauliculus little stalk, dim. of caulis .] (Architecture) In the Corinthian capital, one of the eight stalks rising out of the lower leafage and terminating in leaves which seem to support the volutes. See Illust . of Corinthian order , under Corinthian .

Cauliflower Cau"li·flow`er noun [ French choufleur , modified by English Cole . Latin caulis , and by English flower ; French chou cabbage is from Latin caulis stalk, cabbage, and fleur flower is from Latin flos flower. See Cole , and Flower .] 1. (Botany) An annual variety of Brassica oleracea , or cabbage, of which the cluster of young flower stalks and buds is eaten as a vegetable.

2. The edible head or "curd" of a cauliflower plant.

Cauliform Cau"li·form adjective [ Latin caulis + -form .] (Botany) Having the form of a caulis.

Cauline Cau"line adjective (Botany) Growing immediately on a caulis; of or pertaining to a caulis.

Caulis Cau"lis noun ; Latin plural Caules . [ Latin , a stem.] (Botany) An herbaceous or woody stem which bears leaves, and may bear flowers.

Caulk Caulk transitive verb & noun See Calk .

Caulocarpous Cau`lo·car"pous adjective [ Greek ... stem + karpo`s fruit.] (Botany) Having stems which bear flowers and fruit year after year, as most trees and shrubs.

Caulome Cau"lome noun [ Greek kalo`s stem + -ome as in rhi zome .] (Botany) A stem structure or stem axis of a plant, viewed as a whole. -- Cau*lom"ic adjective

Cauma Cau"ma noun [ Latin , from Greek ... a burning heat.] (Medicine) Great heat, as of the body in fever.

Cauponize Cau"po·nize intransitive verb [ Latin cauponari , from caupo huckster, innkeeper.] To sell wine or victuals. [ Obsolete] Warburfon.

Causable Caus"a·ble adjective Capable of being caused.

Causal Caus"al adjective [ Latin causalis . See Cause .] Relating to a cause or causes; inplying or containing a cause or causes; expressing a cause; causative.

Causal propositions are where two propositions are joined by causal words.
Watts.

Causal Caus"al noun A causal word or form of speech.

Anglo-Saxon drencan to drench, causal of Anglo-Saxon drincan to drink.
Skeat.

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