caul

noun

1. (historical)A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen.

   “Ne spared they to strip her naked all. / Then when they had despoild her tire and call, / Such as she was, their eyes might her behold […]”

2. (British, capitalized, historical, often)An entry to a mill lead taken from a burn or stream (a mill lead (or mill waterway) is generally smaller than a canal but moves a large volume of water).
3. A membrane.
4. The thin membrane which covers the lower intestines; the omentum.
5. The amnion which encloses the foetus before birth, especially that part of it which sometimes shrouds a baby’s head at birth (traditionally considered to be good luck).

   “I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas.”

   “Even in the mid seventeenth century a country gentleman might regard his caul as a treasure to be preserved with great care, and bequeathed to his descendants.”

6. The surface of a press that makes contact with panel product, especially a removable plate or sheet.
7. A strip or block of wood used to distribute or direct clamping force.
8. Caul fat.