caul
1
9.9
A thin, soft layer inside the belly that covers the intestines
- noun
- /kɔl/
- Specialized
:
caul
- In folklore, a baby born with a caul is often believed to have special powers or foresight.
Examples
-
She knew what a caul was: a scrap of water sac, a ward against drowning, nothing more.
Fiction book (1999) -
"A caul, and the umbilical cord too.
Fiction book (1999) -
Oscar knew it was only superstition... that said a caul could prevent you from drowning, yet he clung to the belief anyway.
-
The doctor explained that the caul is a thin membrane that sometimes covers a newborn's head during birth.
-
The midwife carefully removed the caul from the baby's face, ensuring it could breathe easily.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Caul comes from old words like cap ('head cover'). Think of a thin 'cap' over the organs inside the belly, which is why the membrane surgeons lift to see the intestines is called a caul.