caul

¹

[ kawl ]

noun

1. a part of the amnion sometimes covering the head of a child at birth.
2. greater omentum.
3. a net lining in the back of a woman's cap or hat.
4. a cap or hat of net formerly worn by women.

caul

²

[ kawl ]

noun

1. a form or plate for pressing a veneer or veneers being glued to a backing or to each other.

caul

/ kɔːl /

noun

1. a portion of the amniotic sac sometimes covering a child's head at birth
2. a large fold of peritoneum hanging from the stomach across the intestines; the large omentum

Word History and Origins

Origin of caul¹

1300–50; Middle English calle < Middle French cale, probably back formation from calotte “kind of cap”; calotte

Origin of caul²

< French cale shim < German Keil wedge

Word History and Origins

Origin of caul¹

C13: from Old French cale, back formation from calotte close-fitting cap, of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

This debut novel follows the women of a Harlem family that stays afloat by selling their “caul,” their magical, restorative skin, to the clientele in their gentrifying neighborhood.

From New York Times

Early in the novel, Chuluun reveals that he and his brother were born with a caul — each of their faces shrouded in a thin layer of amniotic membrane.

From New York Times

Jones was born with a caul over his eye, which is often seen as indicating the gift of second sight.

From New York Times

Delivering a baby en caul, which is when the amniotic sac stays intact, can be done on purpose, although it’s still a rare occurrence.

From Fox News

This echoes a question in the first chapter, in a letter addressed to a “Mr. President,” in which she declares that she was born with half a good-luck caul.

From The New Yorker