CALF. A word generally applied to the young of marine mammalia, as the whale.--_Calf_, in the Arctic regions, a mass of floe ice breaking from under a floe, which when disengaged rises with violence to the surface of the water; it differs from a tongue, which is the same body kept fixed beneath the main floe. The iceberg is formed by the repeated freezing of thawed snow running down over the slopes, until at length the wave from beneath and weight above causes it to break off and fall into the sea, or, as termed in Greenland, to calve. Thus, berg, is fresh-water ice, the work of years. The floe, is salt water frozen suddenly each winter, and dissolving in the summer. CALF, OR CALVA. A Norwegian name, also used in the Hebrides, for islets lying off islands, and bearing a similar relation to them in size that a calf does to a cow. As the Calf at Mull and the Calf of Man. CALFAT. The old word for caulking. [_Calfater_, Fr.; probably from _cale_, wedge, and _faire_, to make.] To wedge up an opening with any soft material, as oakum. [_Calafatear_, Sp.] CALIBER, OR CALIBRE. The diameter of the bore of a gun, cannon, shot, or bullet. A ship's caliber means the known weight her armament represents. CALIPASH. The upper shell of a turtle. CALIPEE. The under shell of a turtle. CALIVER. A hand-gun or arquebuss; probably the old name of the matchlock or carabine, precursors of the modern fire-lock, or Enfield rifle. (_See_ CALABASS.) CALL. A peculiar silver pipe or whistle, used by the boatswain and his mates to attract attention, and summon the sailors to their meals or duties by various strains, each of them appropriated to some particular purpose, such as hoisting, heaving, lowering, veering away, belaying, letting go a tackle-fall, sweeping, &c. This piping is as attentively observed by sailors, as the bugle or beat of drum is obeyed by soldiers. The coxswains of the boats of French ships of war are supplied with calls to "in bow oar," or "of all," "oars," &c. CALLIPERS. Bow-legged compasses, used to measure the girth of timber, the external diameter of masts, shot, and other circular or cylindrical substances. Also, an instrument with a sliding leg, used for measuring the packages constituting a ship's cargo, which is paid for by its cubical contents. CALL THE WATCH. This is done every four hours, except at the dog-watches, to relieve those on deck, also by pipe. "All the watch," or all the starboard, or the port, first, second, third, or fourth watches. CALM. There being no wind stirring it is designated flat, dead, or stark, under each of which the surface of the sea is unruffled. CALM LATITUDES. That tropical tract of ocean which lies between the north-east and south-east trade-winds; its situation varies several degrees, depending upon the season of the year. The term is also applied to a part of the sea on the Polar side of the trades, between them and the westerly winds.