calamary 
inkfish) of L. etilnmarius, pertaining to a pen, 
< calamus, areed, apen: see calamus.] 1. A cut- 
tlefish; a decaeerous or decapodous 
cephalopod of the order Dilraiirlii- 
<tta, having a pen-shaped internal 
skeleton or cuttle-bone, as in the 
genus Loligo and related forms. 
The body is oblong, soft, fleshy, tapering, 
and Hanked behind by two triangular flux, 
and contains a pen-shaped gladius or in- 
ternal horny flexible shell. They have 
two sacs called ink-bags, from which they 
discharge, when alarmed or pursued, a 
black fluid which conceals them from 
sight. The species are found in most seas, 
and furnish food to dolphins, whales, etc. 
Also called squid, sea-sleeve, preke, cuttle- 
}i*h, hikiixh, and pt'iiii*!/. 
2. The internal skeleton, cuttle- 
bone, gladius, or pen of a cala- 
mary. 
Also called calambar. 
calambac (kal'am-bak), . [= F. 
calambac, < Sp. calambac = Pg. 
calamba, < Pers. kalambal; a fra- 
grant wood. Ci.calambmir.] Same 
as agallochum. 
calambar, n. Same as calamary. 
calambour (kal'am-bor), n. [< 
F. calambour, catambourc, -bourg, 
etc., appar. perverted forms, ear- 
lier calambuque, < Sp. calambuco = Calama _ Gla . 
Pg. ealambiico, also (after F. ca- aius, or Pen of 
lambour) ealamburo; prob. from l^fS*).^'*" 
same source as calambac, and part- 
ly identified with it.] A species of agallochum 
or eaglewood, of a dusky or mottled color and 
758 
calandra 
The function of the calamistrum has been proved by Calamoherpe (kal"a-mo-her ' pe), M. [NL. 
Mr. Blackwall to be the carding, or teasing and curling, (Boie 1822), irreg. < Gr. n'd/.auoc. reed, 4- ei 
of a peculiar kind of silk, secreted and emitted from the =_, , .' 
fourth pair of spinners. Emyc. Brit., II. 292. 
calamite (kal'a-mit), n. t 
v.] 1. A fossil of the genus Calamites. 2. A 
creep.] Same as Calamodyta. 
[< NL. Catamites, q. OalamospizaJkal'Vmo-spiV.a), n 
f f _ _,, [NL. (C. L. 
Bonaparte, 1838), <'Gr.'i).a/>r, 'areed, + <rmfa, 
rounded prismatic crystals, longitudinally stri- 
ated, and sometimes resembling a reed. 
Calamites (kal-a-ml'tez), H. [NL., < Gr. KU)M- 
/ilTf/f, reed-like, "<. ncAa/uts, L. calamus, a reed.] 
A genus of fossil plants, of which the structure 
is complicated and obscure, but which are gen- 
erally admitted to be allied to the recent Equi- 
setacea? or horsetails; the Calamites. Whether 
Calamites should be considered as being a peculiar form 
of Equiietacex, or as constituting a distinct but allied 
order, has not yet been fully established. The calamites 
are considered to have been cryptogamic plants, but their 
relations to living cryptogams are peculiar, and especially 
exceptional in their complex structure and the exogenous 
growth of the woody cylinder. The foliage of the cala- 
mites was verticillate ; and it is thought by some that 
Astemphyllites, Annularia, and even Sphenaphyllum, 
with their whorled leaves, represent the leaf-bearing 
branches of calamites, although this has not been actually 
proved by discovery of the leaves attached to the stems. 
The calamites are among the commonest and most charac- 
teristic fossil plants of the coal-measures. 
calamitous (ka-lam'i-tus), a. [< F. calamiteut, 
< L. calamitosus. < calamita(t-)s, calamity: see 
chirp, pipe, peep.] A genus of frin- 
gilline passerine birds of North America, con- 
taining the lark-bunting of the western States 
and Territories, Calamospiza bicolor, the male 
!.;irk-bunting (Cat, 
of which is black, with a white patch on the 
wing, and resembles the bobolink in some 
other respects. It is about 7 inches long, nests 911 the 
N Y- .<...,>. ,..^ vr/ o, *. ""J ', ~ ground, and has the habit during the breeding season ,,f 
calamity,] If. Miserable ; involved calam- f oarin g a ] f t to sing, like the skylark. The inner sec- 
, . 
ondaries are as long as the primaries in the closed wing, 
and the bill resembles that of a grosbeak. The sexes are 
markedly distinct in coloration. 
is used by cabinet-makers and inlayers. 
calambuco (kal-am-bu'ko), n. Same as calam- 
bour. 
calami, n. Plural of calamus. 
calamiferous (kal-a-mif'e-rus), a. 
nuts, a reed, + ferre = E. Sear 1 .] 
reeds or reedy plants ; reedy. .-= - ^ -. 
calamin calamine (kal'a-min), n. [< F. cala- calamitously (ka-lam'i-tus-li), adv. In a ca- 
mbie= Sp uOamina = MHG. kalemine, G. leal- lamitous manner ; in a manner to produce great 
mei, now galmei, < ML. calamina, a corruption distress. 
otLcadmia.-aeecadmia.] The native hydrous calamitousness (ka-lam'i-tus-nes), H. The 
B ilit.R of 7.in. a,r, important ore of that metal, q^lity of bringing calamity or misery; deep 
ity or deep distress ; wretched. 
Ten thousands of calamitous persons. 
South, Works, VII. xi. 
2. Of the nature of or marked by calamity or calamus (kal'a-mus), . j pi. calami (-mi). [. 
great misfortune; bringing or resulting from ME. (Wyclif) calamy; < L. calamus, & reed 
calamity; making wretched ; distressing or dis- cane, hence a pipe, pen, arrow, rod, etc., = Ar. 
tressful: as, a calamitous event; "that calami- </* (> Turk. grafem), a pen, reed pen pencil, 
brush, chisel, etc., < Gr. naM/tof, a reed, cane, 
etc., = Skt. kalamas = L. culmus, a stalk, stem, 
[In 
a 
encounters. Sumner, Orations, I. 173. 
= Syn. 2. Afflictive, disastrous, distressing, grievous, de- 
plorable, baleful, ruinous. 
[< L. cala- 
Producing 
silicate of zinc, an important ore of that metal. 
It occurs in crystals which are often hemimorphic (hence distress ; wretchedness ; misery. 
the synonym hemimorphite), in crystalline groups with bo- calamity (ka-lam'i-ti), Jl.; pi. calamities (-tiz). 
tryoidal surface, and also massive ; the color varies from r< f\ calamite = Pr. calamitat = Sp. calamidad 
white to pale green, blue, or yellow. It is often associated - T , ._;-., /A / T, /.nlnmitntt )i loss ininrv 
with zinc carbonate, sometimes with smithsonite (also = Ca ' a \ lta '^- 'l^l^'l' Vll' l"^!?' 
this sad and 
calamitous condition," South. 
But, even admitting the calamitous necessity of War, it 
can never be with pleasure it cannot be without sadness Bieui ; BBC nunn. j i. .n. iccu . uniic. a. .n.juiiu 
unspeakable that the Christian soul surveys its fiendish of fragrant plant mentioned in the Bible (Ex. 
straw, = AS. Jiealm, E. halm, haulm, a stalk, 
stem: see halm.] 1. Areed: cane. 2. A kind 
, , . 
with zinc carbonate, sometimes with smithsonite (also 
called calamin), in calcareous rocks. It is used as a pig- 
ment in ceramic painting, producing a brilliant green col- 
or in glazed pottery. 
calamint (kal ' a -mint), n. [< ME. calamy nt = 
F. calament= Sp. calamento = Pg. calamintha = 
It. calamento, < ML. calamintha (calaminthum, 
-menta, -mentum, etc., calomenta, etc.), < L. cala- 
minthe, < Gr. adafilvOit, also KaMjuvdof, a kind 
of mint, < /to/la-, perhaps for KOAO- for /ca/lof, 
beautiful, + [iMa, mint.] A book-name for 
plants of the genus Calamintha. 
Calamintha (kal-a-min'tha), n. [NL. ML., < 
L. calaminthe: see calamint."] A genus of la- 
biate strongly fragrant herbs or undershrubs, 
of the northern temperate zone. The common 
European species are used in making herb-teas. There 
are about 40 species, including the common calamint (C. 
officinal), the wood-calamint (C. sylvatica), the lesser cala- 
damage, misfortune, disaster, ruin, prob. con- 
nected with iti-columis, unharmed ; root uncer- 
tain.] Any great misfortune or cause of mis- 
ery; in general, any event or disaster which 
produces extensive evils, as loss of crops, earth- 
quakes, etc., but also applied to any misfortune 
which brings great distress upon a single per- 
son; misfortune; distress; adversity. 
Affliction is enamour'd of thy parts, 
And thou art wedded to calamity. 
Shak., R. and J., iii. 3. 
Calamity is man's true touchstone. 
Beau, and Fl., Triumph of Honour, i. 1. 
The deliberations of calamity are rarely wise. Burke. 
'T is sorrow builds the shining ladder up, 
Whose golden rounds are our calamities. 
Lowell, Death of a Friend's Child. 
= Syn. Disaster, Catastrophe, etc. (see misfortune), hard- 
ship, adversity, affliction, blow, stroke. 
mint (C. Se.pf.ta). the field- or stone-basil or horse-thyme -f'f' "^"-j, <......,..*., ,....,_=.. . 
(C. Cliiwjmlimu\ and the basil-thyme (C. Acinos). Calamodendron(kaFa-mo-den'dron), n. [NL., 
calamistt(kal'a-mist), n. [<L. calamus, areed, 
-I- -ist.] A piper; one who plays on a reed or 
pipe. Bloitnt. 
calamistra, . Plural of calamistrum. 
< Gr. Kafa/tof, a reedj + devdpov, a tree.] A 
fossil plant belonging to the coal-measures, and 
formerly held to be a gymnospermous exogen, 
but now believed to be a calamite retaining its 
calamistral (kal-a-mis'tral), a. [< calamistrum structure and especially its exogenous vascular 
+ -al.] Pertaining to or having the functions zone. See Calamites. 
Calamodyta (kal"a-mo-di'ta), . [NL. (Meyer, 
1815), < Gr. Ka^afioSiiTTjf, a bird, perhaps the 
reed-warbler, < Kahauoc, a reed, 4- avrqf, diver, 
< oiiEiv, get into, enter, dive.] A genus of birds, 
of calamistra. 
calamistratet (kal-a-mis'trat), v. t. . 
mistratus, pp. of *cdlamistrare, curl, as the hair, 
< calamister, also calamistrum, an iron tube for 
x V.*K/...O,,<-. , oiov, I,,*,,,,,OK. .../c., au ii uil muc ii , , , . , 
curling the hair: see calamistrum.'] To curl or giving name to a subfamily Calamodytina; : a 
frizzle, as the hair. Cotgrave; Burton. 
calamistrationt (kal"a-mis-tra'shon), n. [< 
calam Mrate.] The act of curling" the hair. 
[Bare.] 
Calamuttratioiut, ointments, &c will make the 
veriest dowdy otherwise a goddess. 
Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 470. 
calamistrum (kal-a-mis'trum), n. ; pi. calamis- 
tra (-tra). [NL., 'a special use of L. calamix- 
trum, an iron tube for curling the hair (see cal- 
amistrate), < calamus, a reed : see calamus.] One 
of the curved movable spines forming a double 
row on the upper surface of the sixth or penul- 
synonym of Acrocephalus. The typical species 
is Acrocephalus aquaticus. Also called Calamo- 
herpe. 
Calamodytinse(kal''a-md-di-ti'ne), n.pl. [NL., 
< Calamodyta + -iim.] InG. R. Gray's system 
of classification (1869), a subfamily of small, 
xxx. 23, etc.), and supposed to be the sweet-flag, 
Acorus Calamus, or the fragrant lemon-grass of 
India, Andropogon Schcenanthus ; the sweet-flag. 
Another goblet ! quick ! and stir 
Pomegranate juice and drops of myrrh 
And calamus therein ! 
Loitgfellmr, Golden Legend, iii. 
3. [cap.] A very large genus of slender, leafy, 
climbing palms, natives chiefly of eastern Asia 
and the adjacent islands. Their leaves are armed 
with strong reversed thorns, by means of which they often 
climb the loftiest trees. The sheathing leaves cover the 
entire stem, and when removed leave a slender-jointed 
polished cane, in some species reaching 200 feet in length. 
These are extensively used in bridge-making, for the ropes 
and cables of vessels, and, when split, for a great variety 
of purposes. They form the ratan-cwies of commerce, 
used in large quantities for the caning of chairs, etc. One 
of the larger species, C. Scipionum, furnishes the Malacca 
canes used for walking-sticks. The fruits of C. Draco 
yield the red resin known in commerce as dragon's-blood. 
4. A tube, usually of gold or silver, through 
which it was customary in the ancient church 
to receive the wine in communicating. The 
adoption of the calamus doubtless arose from caution, 
lest any drop from the chalice should be spilled, or any 
other irreverence occur. It has fallen into disuse, except 
that it is still retained in the Roman Catholic Church in 
solemn papal celebrations, for the communion of the 
Pope. It IB also known by the names camia, pugillariz, 
and fistula. 
5. In music, a flute or pipe made of reed. 6. 
In ornith., the hard, horny, hollow, and more or 
less transparent part of the stem or scape of a 
feather; the barrel, tube, or quill proper, which 
bears no vexilla, and extends from the end of 
the feather inserted in the skin to the begin- 
ning of the rachis where the web or vane com- 
mences. See cut under aftershaft. 7. An an- 
cient Greek measure of length of 10 feet. 
Calamus soriptorius (literally, a writing-pen), the lower 
(posterior) portion of the floor of the fourth ventricle of 
the brain, bounded on each side by the diverging funiciili 
graciles, the point where these come together below being 
likened to the point of a pen. 
calanchi (ka-lan'chi), n. A unit of weight for 
pearls, used in Pondicherry, equal to 0.14 gram, 
or 2& grains troy. 
calando (ka-lan'do). [It., ppr. of calare, de- 
crease: see calade.] In music, a direction to 
slacken the time and decrease the volume of 
tone gradually. 
dentirostral, oscine passerine birds, of his fain- ca l an( ira (ka-lan'drii), . [NL. ; cf. E. </<- 
lines of silk issuing from the spinnerets, forming a fllmy 
web peculiar to the species possessing these organs. 
ily LusciniidfE, the reed-warblers ; the warblers 
of the acrocephaline type, having a minute, 
spurious first primary, and in tvpical forms 
an elongated head and relatively large bill. 
Sundry genera are Acrocephalits (of which Calamodyta, 
Calamoherpe, and Calamodw are mere synonyms), Locus- 
tella, Lusctniola, and Cettia. 
calamodytine (kal"a-mo-d!'tin), a. Having 
the characters of a reed-warbler ; pertaining 
to the Calumodytina; ; acrocephaline. 
dcr* (ME. chalaundre, also caladric), < F. ca- 
londre = Pr. calandra = Sp. calandria = Pg. ca- 
lluindra = It. cahndra = MHG. </"''"'"' ( J ' L - 
calandra, chalandra, calaiidntx, ootendrte, also 
caladrius, caladrus, a kind of lark, also calandra, 
calandrus, a weevil), < Gr. /.ri>afrf^of (also x a - 
(a) A large kind of lark, Xelanocorypha 
:, with a stout bill, inhabiting southern 
