caul

Definitions

1. 1.(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 warming of the lower belly. Ray.
2. 2.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.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

• What does "caul" mean?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is caul.

• What is 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 warming of the lower belly. Ray called?