CALABASH n.
f tropical America (Crescentia cujete), producing a large gourdike fruit, containing a purgative pulp. Its hard shell, after the removal of the pulp, is used for cups, bottles, etc. The African calabash tree is the baobab.
CAMP n.
a civilian accompanying an army, as a sutler, servant, etc. -- Camp meeting, a religious gathering for open-air preaching, held in some retired spot, chiefty by Methodists. It usualy last for several days, during which those present lodge in tents, temporary houses, or cottages. -- Camp stool, the same as camp chair,…
CANNON n.
ow often applied to a missile of any shape, whether solid or hollow, made for cannon. Elongated and cylindrical missiles are sometimes called bolts; hollow ones charged with explosives are properly called shells. -- Cannon bullet, a cannon ball. [Obs.] -- Cannon cracker, a fire cracker of large size. -- Cannon lock,…
CANTHARIS n.
A beetle (Lytta, or Cantharis, vesicatoria), having an elongated cylindrical body of a brilliant green color, and a nauseous odor; the blister fly or blister beetle, of the apothecary; -- also called Spanish fly. Many other species of Lytta, used for the same purpose, take the same name. See Blister beetle, under Blist…
CARBONIFEROUS a.
the age immediately following the Devonian, or Age of fishes, and characterized by the vegatation which formed the coal beds. This age embraces three periods, the Subcarboniferous, the Carboniferous, and Permian. See Age of acrogens, under Acrogen. -- Carboniferous formation (Geol.), the series of rocks (including sa…