calado

Calado is a Spanish term with several related senses that vary by context. In everyday language, calado is the past participle of calar and functions as an adjective meaning soaked or drenched by rain or water: "Estoy calado" (I am soaked). It can also describe surfaces or objects that have been permeated or saturated, as in "el suelo quedó calado" or "la prenda quedó calada por la lluvia."

In crafts and decorative arts, calado refers to cut-out or pierced patterns produced by removing material to create openings. The term is used for wood, metal, textiles, and paper. A piece described as "calada" has visible openings, as in "madera calada" o "rejilla calada."

In textiles and fashion, "calado" denotes openwork or lace-like designs in garments and fabrics, such as blusas de calado or vestidos calados, produced by embroidery, cutwork, or knitting.

In nautical contexts, calado describes a ship's draft—the vertical distance from the waterline to the hull bottom—reflecting the minimum depth of water required to float the vessel. The calado affects routing, anchorage, and port calls.

Originating from calar, the verb meaning to soak through or to pierce, calado encompasses both soaking-related and piercing-related senses, linking these different usages through the idea of penetrating material or depth.