Plural of catellum; small chains or chain-like structures, especially in medieval metallurgy or jewelry.
From Medieval Latin catella, plural of catellum, diminutive of catena (chain). The Latin root catena connects to Romance languages' words for chain.
This word survives mostly in specialized historical texts about medieval craft work—it's one of hundreds of 'dead' technical terms that died out when metalworking techniques changed and new tools replaced old ones.
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