I. ˈka(ˌ)lō, -_lə; -_ləw, -_lō+V adjective
( sometimes -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English calu, calewe bald, from Old English calu; akin to Old High German kalo bald, Old Slavic golŭ naked
1.
a. of a bird : lacking feathers : unfledged
b. : characteristic of or indicating immaturity
the callow down began to clothe my chin — John Dryden
2. : marked by lack of adult sophistication, experience, perception, or judgment
a troop of newly arrived students, very young, pink and callow , followed nervously … at the director's heels — Aldous Huxley
3.
a. dialect England , of land : bare
b. Irish : low-lying : marshy — used especially of a meadow
Synonyms: see rude
II. noun
( -s )
1. Irish : a low-lying or marshy meadow
2. dialect England : the layer of soil above the subsoil : the top or rubble bed of a quarry
3. : a freshly transformed insect not yet fully colored