Caul

Caul

Caul

A membrane that sometimes covers the head of a child at birth. It was regarded as a preservative against drowning at sea and was consequently much sought after by seamen. Superstitions concerning the caul are of some antiquity. In ancient Rome, Aelius Lampridius wrote about the life of Antonine Diadumeninus, stating that he was so called from having been brought into the world with a band of membrane round his forehead like a diadem, and that he enjoyed a perpetual state of felicity from this circumstance. Roman midwives offered cauls for sale in the Forum.

Even as late as the 1870s, British newspapers often carried advertisements from would-be purchasers of a caul, offering large sums of money. The caul was also used in a form of divination called amniomancy.

In the cultures of northern and eastern Europe, the caul, which marked babies as different, was associated with vampirism. A child born with a caul was thought to become a vampire after death. To prevent such a fate, the caul was removed, dried, ground into fine particles, and fed to the child on its seventh birthday.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Caul." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Caul." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403800930.html

"Caul." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403800930.html

Learn more about citation styles

caul

caul / kôl/ • n. 1. the amniotic membrane enclosing a fetus. ∎  part of this membrane occasionally found on a child's head at birth, thought to bring good luck. 2. hist. a woman's close-fitting indoor headdress or hairnet. 3. Anat. the omentum.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"caul." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"caul." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-caul.html

"caul." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-caul.html

Learn more about citation styles

caul

caul, caulcole, caulicole, cauliculus (pl. cauliculae), caulis (pl. caules). Caules are principal stalks rising behind the upper row of acanthus-leaves in a Corinthian capital. From these caules spring lesser branches (cauli-coles or cauliculae) supporting the volutes or helices.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "caul." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "caul." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-caul.html

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "caul." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-caul.html

Learn more about citation styles

caul

caul (hist.) woman's close-fitting cap, hairnet; investing membrane, e.g. omentum, amnion. XIII. ME. calle, of doubtful orig.; perh. — (O)F. cale head-covering, f. calotte (see CALOTTE) by back-formation; but the Eng. word is recorded earlier.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

T. F. HOAD. "caul." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "caul." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-caul.html

T. F. HOAD. "caul." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-caul.html

Learn more about citation styles

caul

caul (kawl) n.
1. (in obstetrics) the amnion, a piece of which may cover an infant's head at birth.

2. (in anatomy) see omentum.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"caul." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"caul." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-caul.html

"caul." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-caul.html

Learn more about citation styles

caul

caul Membrane enclosing the foetus; that from sheep or pig is used to cover meat while roasting.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

DAVID A. BENDER. "caul." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAVID A. BENDER. "caul." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-caul.html

DAVID A. BENDER. "caul." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-caul.html

Learn more about citation styles

caul

caulall, appal (US appall), awl, Bacall, ball, bawl, befall, Bengal, brawl, call, caul, crawl, Donegal, drawl, drywall, enthral (US enthrall), fall, forestall, gall, Galle, Gaul, hall, haul, maul, miaul, miscall, Montreal, Naipaul, Nepal, orle, pall, Paul, pawl, Saul, schorl, scrawl, seawall, Senegal, shawl, small, sprawl, squall, stall, stonewall, tall, thrall, trawl, wall, waul, wherewithal, withal, yawl •carryall • blackball • handball •patball • hardball • netball • baseball •paintball • speedball • heelball •meatball • stickball • pinball • spitball •racquetball • basketball • volleyball •eyeball, highball •oddball • softball • mothball •korfball • cornball •lowball, no-ball, snowball •goalball •cueball, screwball •goofball • stoolball • football •puffball • punchball • fireball •rollerball • cannonball • butterball •catchall • bradawl • holdall • Goodall

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"caul." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"caul." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-caul.html

"caul." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-caul.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

CAUL 1978 and 1998: Two Time Slices--A Brief Personal Perspective(*).
Magazine article from: Australian Academic &amp; Research Libraries; 9/1/1998
Report from CAUL.(Council of Australian University Librarians )
Magazine article from: Australian Academic &amp; Research Libraries; 6/1/2002
CAUL Achievement Award. (Council of Australian University Librarians).(Brief...
Magazine article from: Australian Academic &amp; Research Libraries; 6/1/2002

Facts and information from other sites

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of Caul