callow

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 23, 2008 is: callow • \KAL-oh\  • adjective : lacking adult sophistication : immature Examples: "Back when I was a callow college student," said Emma, "I paid little attention to the advice given to me by my professors." Did you know? You might not expect a relationship between "callow" and baldness, but that connection does in fact exist. "Callow" comes from "calu," a word that meant "bald" in Middle English and Old English. By the 17th century, "callow" had come to mean "without feathers" and was applied to young birds not yet ready for flight. The term was also used for those who hadn't yet spread their wings in a figurative sense. "Callow" continues to mean "inexperienced" or "unsophisticated" today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.