||En caracole (&?;) [F.], spiral; -- said of a staircase.
Car"a*cole (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Caracoled (?).] [Cf. F. caracoler.] (Man.) To move in a caracole, or in caracoles; to wheel.
Prince John caracoled within the lists.
Sir W. Scott.
Car"a*col`y (?), n. An alloy of gold, silver, and copper, of which an inferior quality of jewelry is made.
{ Car"a*core (?), Car"a*co`ra (?) }, n. [Malay kurakura.] A light vessel or proa used by the people of Borneo, etc., and by the Dutch in the East Indies.
||Ca*rafe" (?), n. [F.] A glass water bottle for the table or toilet; -- called also croft.
{ Car"a*geen` or Car"a*gheen` } (?), n. See Carrageen.
Ca`ram*bo"la (?), n. (Bot.) An East Indian tree (Averrhoa Carambola), and its acid, juicy fruit; called also Coromandel gooseberry.
Car"a*mel (?), n. [F. caramel (cf. Sp. caramelo), LL. canna mellis, cannamella, canamella, calamellus mellitus, sugar cane, from or confused with L. canna reed + mel, mellis, honey. See Cane.] 1. (Chem.) Burnt sugar; a brown or black porous substance obtained by heating sugar. It is soluble in water, and is used for coloring spirits, gravies, etc.
2. A kind of confectionery, usually a small cube or square of tenacious paste, or candy, of varying composition and flavor.
Ca*ran"goid (?), a. [Caranx + -oid.] (Zo÷l.) Belonging to the CarangidŠ, a family of fishes allied to the mackerels, and including the caranx, American bluefish, and the pilot fish.
||Ca"ranx (kā"ră&nsm;ks), n. (Zo÷l.) A genus of fishes, common on the Atlantic coast, including the yellow or golden mackerel.
Car"a*pace (kăr"&adot;*pās), n. [F.] (Zo÷l.) The thick shell or shield which covers the back of the tortoise, or turtle, the crab, and other crustaceous animals.
||Ca`ra*pa"to (kń`r&adot;*pń"t&osl;), n. [Pg. carrapato.] (Zo÷l.) A south American tick of the genus Amblyomma. There are several species, very troublesome to man and beast.
Car"a*pax (?), n. (Zo÷l.) See Carapace.
Car"at (kăr"ăt), n. [F. carat (cf. It. carato, OPg. quirate, Pg. & Sp. quilate), Ar. qīrāt bean or pea shell, a weight of four grains, a carat, fr. Gr. kera`tion a little horn, the fruit of the carob tree, a weight, a carat. See Horn.] 1. The weight by which precious stones and pearls are weighed.
&fist; The carat equals three and one fifth grains Troy, and is divided into four grains, sometimes called carat grains. Diamonds and other precious stones are estimated by carats and fractions of carats, and pearls, usually, by carat grains. Tiffany.
2. A twenty-fourth part; -- a term used in estimating the proportionate fineness of gold.
&fist; A mass of metal is said to be so many carats fine, according to the number of twenty-fourths of pure gold which it contains; as, 22 carats fine (goldsmith's standard) = 22 parts of gold, 1 of copper, and 1 of silver.
Car"a*van (kăr"&adot;*văn or kăr*&adot;*văn"; 277), n. [F. caravane (cf. Sp. caravana), fr. Per. karwān a caravan (in sense 1). Cf. Van a wagon.] 1. A company of travelers, pilgrims, or merchants, organized and equipped for a long journey, or marching or traveling together, esp. through deserts and countries infested by robbers or hostile tribes, as in Asia or Africa.
2. A large, covered wagon, or a train of such wagons, for conveying wild beasts, etc., for exhibition; an itinerant show, as of wild beasts.
3. A covered vehicle for carrying passengers or for moving furniture, etc.; -- sometimes shorted into van.
Car`a*van*eer" (?), n. [Cf. F. caravanier.] The leader or driver of the camels in caravan.
Car`a*van"sa*ry (?), n.; pl. Caravansaries (#). [F. caravansÚrai, fr. Per. karwānsarā´; karwān caravan + -sarā´ palace, large house, inn.] A kind of inn, in the East, where caravans rest at night, being a large, rude, unfurnished building, surrounding a court. [Written also caravanserai and caravansera.]
Car"a*vel (kăr"&adot;*v&ebreve;l), n. [F. caravelle (cf. It. caravella, Sp. carabela), fr. Sp. caraba a kind of vessel, fr. L. carabus a kind of light boat, fr. Gr. ka`rabos a kind of light ship, NGr. kara`bi ship, vessel.] [written also carvel and caravelle.] (Naut.) A name given to several kinds of vessels. (a) The caravel of the 16th century was a small vessel with broad bows, high, narrow poop, four masts, and lateen sails. Columbus commanded three caravels on his great voyage. (b) A Portuguese vessel of 100 or 150 tons burden. (c) A small fishing boat used on the French coast. (d) A Turkish man-of- war.
Car"a*way (kăr"&adot;*w&asl;), n. [F. carvi (cf. Sp. carvi and al-caravea, al-carahueya, Pg. al-caravia) fr. Ar. karawīā, karwīā fr. Gr. ka`ron; cf. L. careum.] 1. (Bot.) A biennial plant of the Parsley family (Carum Carui). The seeds have an aromatic smell, and a warm, pungent taste. They are used in cookery and confectionery, and also in medicine as a carminative.