calf
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English calf, kælf, kelf, from Old English cælf, ċealf; also cognate with German Kalb (“calf”), Dutch kalf (“calf”) and Danish kalv (“calf”), from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz, further etymology unknown.[2]
Noun
calf (plural calves or (nonstandard) calfs)
- A young cow or bull.
- Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine, light-coloured leather used in bookbinding.
- A young deer, elephant, seal, whale or giraffe (also used of some other animals).
- A chunk of ice broken from a larger glacier, ice shelf, or iceberg.
- 1915 (published), 1848 (first written), Elisha Kent Kane, Adrift in the Arctic Ice Pack
- Our swell ceases with this wind, and the floes seem disposed to come together again; but the days of winter have passed by, and the interposing calves prevent the apposition of the edges
- 1915 (published), 1848 (first written), Elisha Kent Kane, Adrift in the Arctic Ice Pack
- A small island, near a larger island.
- the Calf of Man
- A cabless railroad engine.
- (informal, dated) An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a dolt.
- 1627, Michaell Drayton [i.e., Michael Drayton], “Nimphidia. The Court of Fayrie.”, in The Battaile of Agincourt. […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for VVilliam Lee, […], published 1631, →OCLC:
- some silly, doating, brainless calf
Synonyms
Derived terms
- box calf
- bull-calf
- bull calf
- bum calf
- calfbound
- calfdozer
- calfflesh
- calfhide
- calfhood
- calfish
- calfless
- calflick
- calflike
- calfling
- calf love
- calfskin
- calfy
- cow-calf
- cow calf
- divinity calf
- elephant calf
- golden calf
- haircalf
- heifer calf
- in calf
- in-calf
- killcalf
- kill the fatted calf
- law calf
- mooncalf
- moon-calf
- reindeer calf
- Russia calf
- sea calf
- sea-calf
- seacalf
- seal calf
- tree calf
- water buffalo calf
Related terms
Translations
young cow or bull
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young deer, elephant, seal or whale (also used of some other animals)
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chunk of ice broken off of a larger glacier, ice shelf, or iceberg
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also
Etymology 2
From Middle English calf, kalf, from Old Norse kalfi, possibly derived from the same Germanic root as English calf (“young cow”) (above). Cognate with Icelandic kálfi (“calf of the leg”).
Noun
calf (plural calves)
- (anatomy) The back of the leg below the knee.
- The muscle in the back of the leg below the knee.
- 1988, Steve Holman, “Christian Conquers Columbus”, in Ironman, 47 (6): 28-34:
- Sure, his calves are a little weak, but the rest of his physique is so overwhelming, he should place high.
Derived terms
Translations
anatomy: back of the leg below the knee
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muscle in the back of the leg below the knee
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
References
- Bingham, Caleb (1808) “Improprieties in Pronunciation, common among the people of New-England”, in The Child's Companion; Being a Conciſe Spelling-book […] , 12th edition, Boston: Manning & Loring, →OCLC, page 74.
- Guus Kroonen (2013) “*kalbiz-”, in Alexander Lubotsky, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 278
Anagrams
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