An archaic or dialectal term, possibly referring to a horse or related animal in Spanish or Portuguese colonial contexts.
Related to Spanish 'caballo' (horse); colonial records suggest this may be an English corruption of the Spanish word, with the 'o' ending preserved from Spanish pronunciation.
The transition from 'caballo' to 'cabaho' shows how English speakers struggled with Spanish words in the colonies—they'd hear a word, write it phonetically, and it would stick even if incorrect, creating linguistic time capsules of colonial encounters.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.