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View synonyms for

calf

1

[ kaf, kahf ]

noun

plural calves
  1. the young of the domestic cow or other bovine animal.
  2. the young of certain other mammals, as elephants, seals, and whales.
  3. Informal. an awkward, silly boy or man.
  4. a mass of ice detached from a glacier, iceberg, or floe.


calf

2

[ kaf, kahf ]

noun

plural calves
  1. the fleshy part of the back of the human leg below the knee.

calf

1

/ ɑː /

noun

  1. the young of cattle, esp domestic cattle vituline
  2. the young of certain other mammals, such as the buffalo, elephant, giraffe, and whale
  3. a large piece of floating ice detached from an iceberg, etc
  4. kill the fatted calf
    to celebrate lavishly, esp as a welcome
  5. another name for calfskin
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

calf

2

/ ɑː /

noun

  1. the thick fleshy part of the back of the leg between the ankle and the knee sural
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • · adjective
  • · adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of calf1

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English cealf, calf; cognate with Old Saxon kalf, Old Norse kalfr, Old High German kalb, from Germanic kalboz

Origin of calf2

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse kalfi
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Word History and Origins

Origin of calf1

Old English cealf; related to Old Norse ڰ, Gothic 첹ō, Old High German kalba

Origin of calf2

C14: from Old Norse kalfi
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. in calf, (of a cow or other animal having calves) pregnant.
  2. kill the fatted calf, to prepare an elaborate feast in welcome or celebration.

More idioms and phrases containing calf

see kill the fatted calf ; puppy (calf) love .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The all-day event will feature classic rodeo competitions including bull riding, calf roping and barrel racing alongside community programming that celebrates Black western heritage.

From

And the occasional mountain lion will stop by, maybe kill a calf, and then move on.

From

Around this time last season, Glasnow also exited a start early in Toronto with cramping in his calf and his hand.

From

A common dolphin calf was killed by four bottlenose dolphins in New Quay.

From

The food’s good, the people are pretty nice and the hills assure everyone’s calves are shredded year-round.

From

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Calexicocalf diphtheria