Forms: 4–6 calabre, 5 calabere, 6 calubur, calober, callabre, calabrye, calliber, calloper, 6–7 callaber, 7 caliber, 9 calabar, 6– calaber. [app. a. F. Calabre, Calabria, a province of Italy; but why so called is unknown.]
1. A kind of fur, apparently obtained from some foreign species of the squirrel; now, commercially, applied especially to the fur of the grey or Siberian Squirrel: also attrib. Calaber pencil: an artist’s color-brush made of the hairs of this fur.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. VII. 257. His cloke of Calabre with knoppes of Gold.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, E ij. Gownes of moche fyn cloth and furred of calabre, letuce, and ermyn.
1532–3. Act 24 Hen. VIII., xiii. Any maner of furres, other then black cony, budge, grey cony, shankes, calaber, gray, fiche.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (1852), 59. The ij. day of June [1549],… alle the gray ammesse with the calober in Powlles ware put downe.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind. (Arb.), 291. The people of Moscouia … haue ryche furres as Sabels, Marteines, Foynes, Calaber.
1583. Plat, Diuerse Exper. (1594), 14. With a fine calaber pensill first dipped in ye coppres water.
1588. Gifts to Queen, in Nichols, Progr. Q. Eliz. Furred thorough with mynnyover and calloper.
a. 1603. Fleetwood, ibid. I. 355. We sitting in all our calabrye clokes of murrey, did geve the newe shereffs … theire othes.
1720. Stow’s Surv. (ed. Strype, 1754), II. V. viii. 255/1. Those Aldermen that have not been Mayors are to have their Cloaks furred with Calabre.
1832–52. McCulloch, Dict. Comm., Calabar Skin, the Siberian squirrel skin.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, II. 516. Furs, Skins, and Pelts imported … 1870 … Squirrel or Calabar 150, 668.
† 2. The animal itself. Obs.
1607. Cowell, Interpr., s.v. Furre, Calaber is a little beast, in bigness about the quantitie of a squirell, of colour gray.
a. 1626. Middleton, Love & Antiq., Wks. V. 289. Beasts bearing fur … Lamb … wolverin, caliber.
1721. in Bailey.
