Calenders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device used for pressing and smoothing materials, particularly textiles or paper, by passing them through rollers
2. A calendar variant that lists important information or events, sometimes with a decorative purpose
3. Machinery employed in manufacturing processes to give a smooth finish by compressing or altering materials through rollers

Etymology: "Calenders" is the plural of "calender," and the word has two unrelated histories that happen to share a spelling. The sense of a machine for pressing and smoothing cloth or paper comes from Middle French "calandre," which passed through Late Latin "calendra" from Latin "cylindrus," meaning "cylinder," and that in turn from Ancient Greek "kúlindros." The cylinder-shaped rollers of the machine are the link. English spelled it "calender" in the 17th century to keep it apart from "calendar," the chronological word, even though the two were once confused. The other history is more colourful. A separate word came from Persian "qalandar," meaning "wandering dervish," which passed into English via Middle English "calendren," from Middle French "calandrer," meaning to press cloth in a calender machine. That path shows the two strands meeting in the verb, since the Persian and Greek roots never shared a source.