NYT Dictionary

CALLOW

/ˈkæloʊ/
AdjectiveNounCAL-lowcal-low · 2 syllablesGrade 8

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2026

Meaning

Immature, inexperienced, or naive.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English calwe (“(adjective) bald; (noun) bald person”), from Old English calu, caluw (“without hair, bald, callow”), from Proto-West Germanic *kalu, from Proto-Germanic *kalwaz (“bald; bare, naked”), and then either: * from Proto-Indo-European *gol(H)-wo- (“bald; bare, naked”), from *gelH- (“head; naked”); or * from Latin calvus (“bald”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kl̥H- (“bald; naked”). If not borrowed from Latin, Grimm’s law indicates that the Latin word is likely a false cognate, along with Persian کل (kal) and Sanskrit कुल्व (kulvá). cognates * Dutch kaal (“bald”) * German kahl (“bald”) * German Low German kahl (“bald”) * Russian го́лый (gólyj, “bare, naked, nude”) * Swedish kal, kalka (“bald”) * West Frisian keal (“bald”)

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

greenwet behind the earsartlesscallowchildlikeverdantcluelesscredulousdewy-eyedcute

Antonyms

experiencedadultishgrown upmature

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 2 recorded puzzles:

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