calf

English

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /kɑːf/
  • (US) enPR: kǎf, IPA(key): /kæf/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑːf
  • Rhymes: -æf

Etymology 1

A cow and calf

From Middle English calf, from Old English cealf, from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz (compare Dutch kalf, German Kalb, Danish kalv), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷolbʰo (“womb, animal young”), *gʷelbʰ- (compare Ancient Greek (Hesychius) δολφός (dolphós, “womb”), δελφύς (delphús), Avestan 𐬔𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬎𐬎𐬀‎ (garəwa) 'uterus', Sanskrit गर्भ (gárbha) 'womb'), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to swell”).

Noun

calf (plural calves)

  1. A young cow or bull.
  2. Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine, light-coloured leather used in bookbinding.
  3. A young elephant, seal or whale (also used of some other animals).
  4. A chunk of ice broken from a larger glacier, ice shelf, or iceberg.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Kane to this entry?)
  5. A small island, near a larger island.
    the Calf of Man
  6. A cabless railroad engine.
  7. (informal, dated) An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a dolt.
    • Drayton
      some silly, doting, brainless calf
Synonyms
Derived terms
  • bull calf, bull-calf
  • calfskin
  • cow calf, cow-calf
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
See also

Etymology 2

Calf of the leg

Old Norse kalfi, possibly derived from the same Germanic root as calf (“young cow”) (above).

Noun

calf (plural calves)

  1. (anatomy) The back of the leg below the knee.
  2. The muscle in the back of the leg below the knee.
    • 1988, Steve Holman, "Christian Conquers Columbus", 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.


Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Anagrams

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch kalf, from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz.

Noun

calf n

  1. calf

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

Further reading

  • “calf”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
  • “calf”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929
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