Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 4 caloure, 5–6 callour, & calour, ? callar, 8– caller, cauler, (9 cawler, cauller, calor). [prob. Sc. form of CALVER, q.v. Cf. siller from silver, etc.
It has generally been assumed to be derived in some way from stem of OTeut. kal-an to be cold. But this does not account for the form; nor does it yield the required sense, which in earlier times was not connected with cold: ‘callour prey,’ recens præda, might be still warm.]
1. ‘Fresh; as opposed to what is beginning to corrupt’ (Jam.); without taint of decomposition; said of the flesh of animals used for food, esp. fish (which were specially liable to decay); ‘as fresh as when taken out of the water.’
c. 1375. ? Barbour, St. Cosmas & Damian, 360. In þe kirkȝard ȝestrevene wes lad Ane Ethiope, & ȝet his flesche Is caloure Inucht & als fres.
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab., 2126, in Anglia, IX. Ane side of salmond, as it wair, And callour.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. xiii. 110. The recent spreith and fresche and callour pray.
[Cf. 1536. Bellenden, Descr. Alb., xi. (1821), I. p. xliii. Quhen the salmondis faillis thair loup, thay fall callour in the said [boiling] caldrounis, and ar than maist delitious to the mouth.]
1768. Ross, Helenore, 6. She … was … As clear and calour as a water trout.
1862. Macm. Mag., Oct., 501. The Newhaven fish-wife shouting ‘Caller herrings!’ or ‘Wha’ll buy my caller cod?’
2. Of air, water, etc.: Fresh and cool; well-aired.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. Prol. 87. The callour air, penetrative and puire.
a. 1600. Hume, in Sibbald, Sc. Poetry, III. 387 (Jam.). The rivers fresh, the callar streams.
1768. Ross, Helenore, 77. Behind the door a calour heather bed.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxi. ‘Queer tirlie-wirlie holes that … keep the stair as caller as a kail-blade.’
1884. Good Wds., May, 326/1. You ha’e the caller air, the caller earth; an’ they’re aye healthy.
